


Truly

by angrybuffgirl



Category: Avatar: Legend of Korra, Avatar: The Last Airbender
Genre: Angst, Bisexual Female Character, Bisexuality, CEO Asami Sato, Commitment, Committed Relationship, F/F, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Gay, Happy Ending, Korra & Asami Sato Friendship, Korra POV, Korrasami Week, Korrasami is Canon, Long-Distance Relationship, Married Korra/Asami Sato, Sapphic September, Slow Burn, Slow Romance, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-27
Updated: 2021-03-16
Packaged: 2021-03-19 02:41:49
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 25
Words: 107,768
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29743749
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/angrybuffgirl/pseuds/angrybuffgirl
Summary: ( modern au ) Asami thought she had made it so difficult to be loved, but she didn't want to be loved. In her eyes, love was something that only followed in heartbreak or disappointment, it seemed like nothing but a pothole. Korra thought that was the stupidest thing she had ever heard.
Relationships: Jinora/Kai (Avatar), Korra & Asami Sato, Korra/Asami Sato, Lin Beifong/Kya (Avatar), Mako/Prince Wu (Avatar)
Comments: 52
Kudos: 151





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> okay first time trying to post on ao3 after being on wattpad for like five years

She arrived to work almost late, which was better than usual though, with only a small window of fourteen minutes exactly to spare before the boss had a fit. Korra considered herself lucky that day. Lucky that she actually woke up to her fourth alarm instead of her seventh, didn't have trouble getting dressed and ready, and the streets weren't _too_ crowded so it was easy to get to the station and on the right train in time. 

Korra stepped into an elevator, nearly going in to press the button that would take her to the eleventh floor, when she heard a very loud and all too familiar laugh echoing its way down the hallway. She poked her head out and quickly recognized her not only co workers but best friends making their way straight for her ride up. 

"Good morning, Korra!" A short, tanned skinned woman with sage green eyes and a bob that settled next to the start of her jaw had shouted at Korra. 

"Opal! Bo!" Korra greeted both of them with the warmest smile she could. 

Her two friends joined her in the elevator, but not even waiting a second to make fun of her almost tardiness. 

"I'm not one to talk I guess, but you should really work on your punction." The man with dark black hair that swooped at the top a little with just as bright as Opal's green eyes made a promising grin to his friend. 

Opal lightly hit him on the back of his head, causing him to quickly rub it with his hands. "Now why would you do that?" 

"You mean punctual. I should work on my punctuation." Korra corrected, finally pressing down on the button to the eleventh floor. "Which I am trying to do, for your information."

The three bantered on for a short while, managing to get around so all of them were playfully mocked for some mistake. It turns out that Opal had forgotten her favorite coffee mug at home that day. Korra and Bolin only found it amusing because of how upset she was over it. Soon enough, with not a moment to spare on Korra's behalf, they made it to their level. The friends all stepped out, parting ways as they each headed to their own personal offices. 

Once Korra got to close her office door, she finally felt able to breathe. 

The calming sensation did not last too long. 

As she began setting things out on her desk and starting up her computer, just getting herself ready for a days work, a knocking sound startled her. She looked up in shock to be met with crazy eyes peering in through the window on her door.

_I really should request a blurred window for that door sometime._

Before she could blink again, her door swung open as a proud walking man practically made himself at home in one of the small armchairs that sat in front of her desk.

"Goooood morning to my favorite employe!" The man screamed with stretched arms.

_Why is he always yelling? Poor Zhu Li._

"Okay well you made it very clear that I'm not your favorite, Varrick." She winced slightly, remembering all of the times he had thrown extremely backhanded compliments to her face. 

"Oh you're no fun." He sunk himself into the chair, then got easily distracted as his eyes landed on some of the figurines and monument statues that sat on the shelves of Korra's walls. He stood up and let himself take in the artifacts with hands behind his back. Korra looked up him him strangely.

"Is there something you needed, Varrick?" 

"Where did you get these things from, woman? They're _incredible_! I bet pretty pricey too, look at this stuff!" He picked up the mini figurine of a penguin seal, examining it's art work closely. "I need to know what companies I should be investing in." 

"Uh, my parents sent me most of that stuff, actually, so I'm not sure." She answered with a head shake and turning back to some paperwork on her desk, honestly not wanting this conversation to continue for longer than need be. 

Varrick swiveled his lanky body around to face her again. "Oh!" He aggressively snapped his fingers in some sort of victory. "I meant to tell you, that cabbage merchant guy and his wife absolutely _adored_ your new advertisement ideas!" 

Korra perked up with a full smile. "Seriously! That's amazing!" She had spent a long time thinking about commercials and flyers to let people know about the new business that Varrick would probably end up investing in. 

"Yup! Good job, kid. Well time to go give my dearests a nice massage." He began to make his way out of the young woman's office when she suddenly made a remark.

"You're giving Zhu Li a massage?" Korra knew Varrick was very deeply in love with his wife, and business partner, everyone could tell. But she had never heard of him sucking up to her like _that_. 

"No you idiot, my feet! These shoes are piercing them and it's only eight in the morning! Note, sue this company for uncomfortable foot wear." 

Korra stayed silent as her boss just stood in her doorway with closed eyes and a finger pointing up. She looked around her room slowly, wondering what was supposed to be happening. Then, his hot blue eyes shot at her cold ones.

"I said make a note." 

"Oh oh right!" Korra quickly pulled out a post it note, writing something down and stuck it to her bulletin board that hung behind her. Varrick nodded in approval and finally made his way to bother some other poor employee. 

He failed to close her door as he left, Korra was so close to smacking herself on her forehead but decided she should just keep cool today and get all of the annoying stuff over with. She went to close her door when she looked out into the main room, her eyes landed on a certain raven haired woman almost instantly.

She stood impatiently at the copying and printer machine, right foot tapping on the carpet and arms crossed as she stared down at the machine. 

Korra liked the raven haired girl, but speaking truthfully she didn't really have that much to go off of to know whether she should like her or not. They didn't know each other all that well, merely considered scratching the surface of acquaintances. Korra had heard amazing things about her though, mainly her status as being heir to one of the biggest companies in probably the whole world. Varrick brags about his partnership with Future Industries quite often, but who wouldn't. Hiroshi Sato and his business are legendary. 

Her and the woman have talked maybe five or six times but very briefly and only about small things like how one of the vending machines doesn't work or how the bathroom needs more hand sanitizer. Korra wanted to get to know her better but she kind of seemed closed off, like she didn't want to be bothered when she was here. 

Understandable though. Everyone who works here could never be able to meet up to her standards, most likely.

"Korra!" 

She whipped her head to her left and saw Opal's head poking out from her office, which was sort of at a diagonal from hers but still close so it was always quite easy for them to speak to one another. 

"Check your texts!" 

Korra went back to her desk, picking up her phone to read what Opal had been talking about.

**you're staring. seriously its WEIRFD**

**and embarrassing. she can probably feel your eyes burning her back**

**stop.**

**or go talk to her maybe ??**

**go you !!**

The blue eyed woman opened her mouth in shock at what she had been accused of, causing her to angrily type back a response.

_fuck off._

"Hey."

Korra's heart raced as she spun around almost too fast which nearly caused her to lose her balance. She locked eyes with her. She was actually just there, standing right in her doorway with her hand on the knob. 

Her black hair tied down into a loose ponytail with a few strands falling besides her temples, but they still looked well kept. She wore tight red slacks that ended with black boots, a white collared button up shirt and a dark gray vest over it. Her signature purple eyeshadow and dark red lipstick finished off the look.

_Fucking incredible ... how she just showed up here when we were JUST speaking about her ..._

_Okay now say something!_

... 

_Go!_

_Alright now GO-_

"Sorry if I was interrupting or disturbed you." She began with an apologetic look. Her voice was so smooth and welcoming, honestly kind of contradicting considering the way she carried herself. "I was just wondering if you wanted your door open or not. I see you're the only one with it open so ... Plus it's kind of loud out here." 

Korra scratched the back of her head, mentally screaming at herself to not say some dumb shit or fall or anything like that. "Uh well yeah actually, if you don't mind closing it, um thank you!" 

_So far so good ??_

"No problem. See you around, Korra." She shot Korra a friendly expression and shut her door. Korra's hurt nearly jumped out of her body due to how hard it was beating. 

_And now it's over._

She wanted to actual get a chance to talk to her and she blew it for herself. It's fine though, the raven haired woman was in the building very frequently, so she would have more shots. 

_Shots._

**VHABSHA WHAT DID SHE SAY  
**

**I CANNOT WHAT  
**

**THE WAY THAT I LITERALLY SUMMONED HER TO YOU-**

**YOU SO OWE ME.**

_bo and i are going to ur place this saturday._

_its decided_

**uh no u cant. remember i have construction going on in my building !! everything's a mess everywhere**

**if u want to drink lets go to our bar. ill tell bo**

_okay perfect_

Korra shut her ringer off and turned her phone face down on the opposite end of her desk, now she could finally start her work for the day. She wouldn't bring herself to dwell any other distractions until at _least_ lunch break.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> idk chapter two

Her muscles grew tighter until she felt like she was about to collapse onto the matted floor. The sweat on her head beamed, causing some of her loose raven strands to stick. She knew she should stop, but this was a good distraction. So she pushed herself, she pushed herself more and more until a certain low voice broke her concentration. 

"Are you kidding me?" A tall, pale man with black spikey hair spoke into the training room. "You're still in here?" He wore a short white towel around his neck and exercise wear, his body leaned against the doorway with crossed arms.

The woman looked up to him in annoyance as she slowed down her pedaling to a temporary halt. "I haven't worked out this entire week." She brushed the back of her hand across her forehead. 

"So?"

"So, I need to catch up. Work has been cutting me off lately." She was about to begin pedaling again, hoping her friend would leave her alone, but no such luck. He jogged over to her and the bicycle, grabbing the machine so she was forced to pay attention to him.

"Asami." He said with his golden narrow eyes. 

"Mako." She responded with _her_ green narrow eyes.

"Let's go out tonight, we can invite Wu and Kai." 

Asami processed his suggestion quickly. She hadn't been out with her friends in awhile, considering how she's currently working on three new highly important inventions for Future Industries; one of them being an entirely new car model. It's really been stressing her out, so she figured that having fun for just a little bit of time would do her some good.

She hesitantly removed herself from the machine, fully shutting it off. 

"That actually doesn't sound bad." 

"Okay great. Let's head to Kwan's Bar tonight, at like eight, eight thirty. I'll call the guys." Mako planned as the two friends both walked out of the training room, Asami switched off the lights and closed the doors behind them. 

"Sounds good. So you leaving now or a little later?"

They made their way to her kitchen, which was big and beautiful, along with the rest of her apartment that you could and _should_ call a penthouse. 

The man opened her refrigerator looking for his favorite snack; an apple. "I think I'll head out now so I'll have time to relax a little, shower and get ready." Asami nodded in response. They talked for a bit longer until the clock hit six, meaning it was time for Mako to leave. They said their quick "see you laters" and he left. 

Asami decided that she should begin to get ready early, since she was one of those people who liked to take their time to get ready for outings. She walked up a flight of stairs that headed to the second floor, and entered her large master bedroom. The floor was a light wood color, but was mostly covered with a dark gray rug. Her walls were a simple white which hung many framed pictures of herself, her with friends and business partners, shelves and some sketches of her coming soon or favorite already finished designs. 

She walked over to her bed and basically fell apart as she sunk into the foam mattress that was covered with the softest, and most expensive, blankets and pillows a person could own. The woman let out a loud groan. She remembered that she had a small meeting with a certain couple who were starting their own company, but she didn't have many details about it. They asked if she would attend to see if she wanted to invest in it and her father said yes for her, of course. Asami had heard a few things from her father and Varrick about the ideas, but truthfully she wasn't really paying attention. 

_Something with ... cabbages ?? Something weird that's all I know._

Asami just wanted to have one day, one full day where she could have it all to herself. No meetings, no inventions, just some well deserved relaxation. 

And then her phone went off. Another loud groan released from her as she patted around her bed trying to locate the device. When her laziness didn't pay off, she sat up a bit to look with her eyes and found it. 

Father showed as the caller ID. Asami sighed, then answered and put it on speaker as she got up and made her way to her closet, beginning to pick out an outfit for the night.

"Hey dad." She spoke up first.

"Asami! How are you doing?" Hiroshi's voice was gentle and welcoming, Asami got that from him _and_ her mother. 

Hiroshi in general was an amazing man, not only starting the best and most well known company in entire _world_ , but he was a pretty great father as well. Asami was very thankful that she had him, since her family didn't extend very far. 

"I'm okay, hopefully going to be pretty good a little later."

"What's happening later? A new invention in mind or are we finishing one up?" He beamed. 

"Uh no," Asami winced slightly, knowing her father wouldn't approve of her plans, but she knew better than to lie to him about her outings. "I'm actually going out with some friends tonight. With Mako, Wu and Kai to be exact."

Though Hiroshi was a good father, he wasn't the fondest of how Asami chose to spend her free time, and with who. She didn't like that. 

"We spoke about this, Asami. You and I both know those boys are no good for you. Taking you all around Republic City to clubs and bars and ... god knows where else. You should be with those people you meet at the Galas and conferences we attend. They're all so lovely and could really teach you some amazi-" 

"Alright dad yes I know I'll try to make better friends with them!" _Even though they're all extremely stuck up and honestly downright boring._ The woman walked back over to her bed, leaning over to phone wondering if she should just hang up. Asami hated a lot of things, but conversations like this with her father was very near to the top of her list. 

"Please don't interrupt me." She rolled her eyes in response. "Now, I think that you would make very good friend with Noat-"

"Wait wait my phone is about to die I'll call you back in a minu-" Asami hung up. 

_Jesus christ._

She hopped into the shower as quick as she could, feeling the stress and sweat float away instantly as the hot water poured down her body. She scrubbed her scalp to make sure the shampoo and conditioner did their job. After about thirty minutes, the woman dried herself up with a towel and went back to her bedroom. Before she could work on her hair and makeup, she checked her phone to see a few messages, only some being relevant to her night.

**_Father_ **

**Asami. You're phone is always dying so quickly. We need to get you a new one.**

**Call me Sunday morning before you're meeting with the merchants.**

**_Kai_ **

**are you picking me up**

**can you pick me up**

**my car is broken ...**

_**Mako** _

Can you pick Kai up? He wrecked one of his headlights this morning apparently

_ **the girl gives us money** _

6:37 **wu - I CANT BFIND MY BROOCH**

**wu - THIS IS SO SO BAD I WAS JUST WEARING IT YESTERDAY**

7:02 **wu - HEL;O ?? WHY DOES NO PONE LISTNE TO ME**

**kai - im listening**

**wu - okay**

**wu - mako and asami i need my brooch.**

**mako - Calm down you left it at my place yesterday. I'll bring it for you tonight**

7:18 **wu - awwww thanks babe!!!!!**

7: 24 **wu - babe?**

Asami softly laughed to herself as she read through her friends conversations. She replied to Kai and Mako, letting them know that she would pick Kai up at around eight fifteen. She then realized the time and panicked a bit knowing she didn't have much time. 

Turns out she did have enough time. Thankfully the blow dryer didn't give her any trouble, so she finished with her hair rather quickly and decided to leave her large waves down. She applied some light makeup with only dark red lipstick, mascara and eyeliner. Asami chose to wear something different for her night out, something more comfortable than usual. She suited up in a maroon collared shirt, leaving two top buttons open, black pleather pants and white short heals.

Kai lived pretty close to her, in an apartment he shared with his friend Sokka, so it didn't take long for the two of them to meet and get to Kwan's Bar. The bouncer let them in with a huff and they walked in to see Mako and Wu already holding a small booth for them. Wu's arms were flying in the air with an erupted laughter as Mako just stared at him, clearly trying to fight back an adoring smile but failing. 

"Kai and Asami!" Wu perked with a newfound joy when he saw his friends slid into the booth. He wrapped his arms around Kai which caused the rest of them to chuckle. "You are my bestest bud, Kai! And you, Asami," he patted her cheek lightly. "Are my bestest girl!" In response, the pale woman simply smiled and called over a waitress or waiter to order drinks for her and Kai, ignoring how Mako and Wu had already gotten some for themselves. 

The bar was more than alive, but it makes sense since it was late on a Saturday. It seemed as if three different songs were playing at once. There were people all over the place; friend groups cracking up at tables and booths, dates getting to know each other, people playing pool or gambling, others sitting at the actual bar, and lonesome drinkers who just needed to get their minds off of things.

A small, pale woman with a light brown bob came up to their booth. Assuming by her outfit, she was obviously a waitress. Her name tag read _Jinora_ , but Asami also noticed long arrow tattoos that started at her middle fingers and made their way down the crook of her elbow. 

"Hello, I'm Jinora and I'll be your waitress for tonight." The way she spoke was calming, and it made Kai smile right away. "Do we know what drinks we want yet?" 

"Actually, just me and h-"

"Hey I'm Kai!" The tan boy shouted out, interrupting Asami. The group laughed at his outburst which caused him to blush in embarrassment. Jinora actually blushed back.

"Anyways, I'll just have a virgin Spicy Cactus an-"

"And I'll have whatever you think is best." Kai shared a promising smirk to the waitress and she blinked, fidgeting with a strand of her chopped hair and the pen in her other hand. Asami kicked him harshly under the table to usher him to let the woman do her job. Jinora wrote down Asami's order and told Kai that she would surprise him, then her small form quickly disappeared in the crowd.

The friend group chatted for a couple of minutes, mostly them making fun of each other; Asami being picked on for getting a virgin drink, Wu getting picked on for already being half way to blacking out, Kai getting picked on for his awful flirting with the waitress, and Mako getting picked on for the obvious extra gel in his hair that night. They cracked up at the jokes thrown towards each other, but then Asami suddenly got distracted. 

She looked in a direction and saw a crowd of people gathering around one of the tables a little bit away from their booth. The friends heard loud cheering and banging, and the CEO wondered what could be causing all of that commotion. She stood up slowly, for some reason feeling drawn to the event. 

"I'm gonna see what's going on." She tapped on the table to get her friends attention. "If my drink comes, can either Kai or Mako give it to me?" Asami glared at Wu as he just giggled to himself, tugging on Mako's jacket collar. The boys who were still sober nodded and she headed out. She squeezed her way through the people who were still standing and walking around, displaying a cringed look on her face at all of the germs filled people she had to slid through. 

Once she made it to the long table, she pushed herself a little more until she was in the front so she could get a full view. Asami's eyes instantly widened at what she saw, a small laugh filling up in the pit of her stomach. 

Korra.


	3. Chapter 3

"Come on, just give it up and go home." A large, very muscular man dared the tan woman whose hand he was clutching with great power. His sleeves were rolled up and a small gland of sweat peaked on his temples.

"What? Are you scared?" A low, intimidating voice released from the overly confident Korra.

Her short, clearly self cut hair was differently kept than how it usually was when she was at work. Now the pieces she could collect were tied back in a low ponytail, the rest swung from the sides of her head. She hadn't noticed Asami's presence yet, it would be hard to considering how focused she was and how many people were surrounding her and her opponent. 

She had Bolin and Opal standing on both sides of her, cheering her on along with a few other locals. Korra knew she would win, it's what she did and loved best. Arm wrestling was the easiest game in the book, and it made her chuckle at how self assured the big man was. 

Korra decided to have a little more fun with him. She changed her facial expression from a smirk to worry as her she let her hand lose grip, allowing the stranger to lower her arm in his advantage. Some people who were on her side began to shout in anger, thinking she was losing. People place bets on these silly games, they don't want to lose any money obviously. 

She felt Bolin's hand wrest on her shoulder. "What are you doing?!" He whispered anxiously in her ear. 

"What I always do, have fun!" Korra responded and a quick wink across the table.

The wink itself somehow managed to throw her opponent off a little bit. The woman's arm muscles flexed, nearly ripped through her tan skip, and she quickly slammed his entire arm down on the table. She pushed her chair back, throwing her arms in the air and spinning around in victory. A huge smile played out on her face while her friends and others congratulated her. Bolin sweeped her up in one of his famous bear hugs which made the friend group laugh. Once he put her down, Korra looked around to see different people wanting to challenge both her and the man who lost to her. She politely declined though, telling them she was here to spend time with her friends. 

"Okay, another round?" Opal suggested excitedly. They were already tipsy at the least, but Korra and Bolin agreed with nodding heads and started off for the main bar again. Once they made it, they managed to claim three bar stools next to each other. Bolin caught the attention of one of the baristas and she slowly walked over to them. 

"What can I get you?" She spoke lowly with a blank yet demanding appearance. It made Korra swoon a little bit. The woman didn't have a name tag for some reason, so they couldn't figure out what to call her. Plus it didn't seem like she was much of the "introduction" type.

"We'll all have the Jasmine this time." 

She sighed and nodded her head, turning around to grab two bottles off of a rack and create the special mix. Bolin stirred in his chair waiting for the drink, it was his favorite. As they waited, Opal mentioned how she really needed to use the bathroom. Bolin didn't want her to go completely alone, so Korra offered to stay and wait for their drinks. After only about a minute of tapping her fingers lightly on the bar, she felt a swift movement from her side. She whipped her head to her left quickly.

Her mouth nearly fell open. 

The CEO, the heir of the biggest company in the world, the raven haired woman sat in the bar stool right next to hers. She had a delighted look on her face. 

"Hey Korra!" 

"A- Asami?" Korra felt like her vision was going a bit blurry when she stuttered and carefully leaned her head in to make sure she was right. "Oh Asami!" 

_You are completely sober and ready for any conversation._

"I saw you arm wrestling with that guy just a second ago!"

Korra nearly crumbled in embarrassment then and there. "Uh, you did?" She scratched her cheek and broke eye contact to look at the barista finishing up their drinks. 

"Yeah! You were actually pretty impressive. Honestly I wasn't expecting that from you." 

Korra turned back to the woman, a questioning smirk was now on her face. "Hey! What's that supposed to mean?" 

"Uh, nothing!" Asami threw up her hands in reassurance. "Just, well when I see you at work- I just didn't really think-" 

_She stutters. Asami Sato actually stutters._ _Can't believe I made Asami Sato stutter._

"It's fine, I was kidding." The barista placed the small glasses of the alcohol in front of the Korra. She took a long sip then slammed the glass back on to the counter. The painful heat burned down her throat, and she loved it. It loosened her up. She then noticed Asami giggling to herself. 

Korra thought she looked beautiful like that. She's never _really_ seen her laugh.

"So, what are _you_ doing here?" The tan woman asked with her body fully turned towards her acquaintance. 

"I'm here with three of my friends, in a booth over there." Asami pointed in a direction but Korra couldn't tell where, so she just pretended to see them. 

"Cool, and same. Opal and Bolin, they just went to the bathroom. Do you know them?" 

"I think I know Opal maybe. She works in the marketing department with you, right?" 

"Yeah." 

Then it was silence. Not the most uncomfortable silence, but also not the most pleasing. The two woman looked everywhere but each other for a minute, Korra taking another big gulp of her drink until it there was hardly any left.

"What drink is that?" Asami broke the unnecessary tension. 

"Oh, it's Jasmine, Bolin's favorite. It's actually really good, you should try a shot." 

"I have a drink waiting for me." The raven haired woman's body suddenly perked as she remembered her drink that her friend probably downed himself already. "My drink! My friends were supposed to bring it to me but I knew I couldn't count on it. I should get back to them." 

Asami reluctantly slid herself off of the bar stool, Korra gazed at her with a bit of a sad look. They both locked eyes, and hearts fluttered slightly, but only for a second. 

"It was great talking to you tonight, though! We should definitely do this more often." 

That made Korra feel better, knowing she would possibly get a chance to impress the heiress, and on her words. 

"Definitely! And maybe not just at the building," Another scratch on the cheek. "If that's okay with you, obviously!" 

"Oh of course! We'll have to plan for lunch or coffee." 

"Great that's perfect!" Korra beamed brightly at the plans they had made.

_What the hell?! Calm down you're embarrassing yourself, just like Opal keeps saying._

"Good, so I'll see you around, Korra." She turned around and was lost in the crowd before Korra could blink. She sat in her stool, still amazed at how she seems to keep finding her and Asami interacting so frequently all of the sudden. She was actually about to go up and find her again, for no reason, when she saw her friends reappear. 

"That was a long time." She questioned the two with a raised brow. Bolin scratched the back of his neck nervously, about to speak before Opal thankfully took over.

"You have no idea how long the line was! Plus the girls in the bathroom kept trying to start conversations. Anyways yay our drinks are here!" 

The night carried on from there, the co workers laughing so hard their sides ached greatly, along with their burning throats but they could barely feel that anyways. At this point, Korra kept sneakily scouting out her surroundings to try and find Asami again. 

_Fuck this bar is huge. And packed. Why is it so packed on the one night I see someone I want to?_

Now she wishes she was paying attention to the direction she pointed her table out to be. Bolin was going on about how one of his ex girlfriends from high school had this crazy obsession with marriage, and something about him having to physically run away from her multiple times. It seemed that Opal wasn't enjoying the story all that much, throwing casual eye rolls that made Korra laugh even more.

The stories kept rolling in from each member, but then Bolin grew distracted and he looked in a different way. 

"You're not even listening to me!" Opal finally called him out, then swung a loose pointer finger to Korra. "And you! What the hell are you looking for?" 

Bolin answered before Korra could. "I think I know someone here." His eyes peered, and then he just lazily walked away. Korra couldn't help but burst out laughing at the way her friend moved around.

"Wait, should we be following him?" 

"We should, buuuut," Opal smiled proudly to herself. "I personally cannot feel my feet!" 

Since Korra wasn't as bad as her friend, she slung Opal's arm around her neck and gripped on to the side of her waist. They managed to keep an eye on Bolin and followed him through the crowd. Korra continuously shouted his time to claim his attention, but everytime she did he turned around for a split second and just fanned her off, continuing his route. 

They saw that he finally seemed to reach a destination and quickly caught up to him. Before Korra could register exactly where they were since she was kind of tired from carrying Opal, a familiar voice chimed into her ears.

"Korra!" 

"WHAT?!" The tan woman screamed, annoying a couple who sat at the neighboring booth. Her extremely dilated pupils fixed themselves, and there was she was.

_AGAIN?!_

Asami giggled silently. "Yes again."

_Of course I said that out loud._

"Opal, Korra, this is my brother!" 

"You have a _brother_?!" Opal and Korra shouted at the same time. Their mouths dropped and their minds almost went completely sober at the news Bolin had just shared so casually. 

"Okay okay everyone, enough of the shouting!" A shorter, darker man man with a nasally voice came up from behind Korra and Opal. He patted their heads lightly with a crooked smile. The gesture made the two chuckle rather than be annoyed. "Let's all just introduce ourselves! I'm Prince W-"

"You're not a prince." Another tan man scolded from the booth. Korra noticed it's accupents; him, a slender pale man with clearly gelled hair and _Asami_. 

"Mako says I'm a prince." The guy grinned with big teeth. The slender man's cheeked flushed a bright red. Korra assumed that the two were in some sort of relationship. 

"Anyways, I'm Wu. This man over here with the brows, that's Mako, my lover man. This is Kai, he's always making some smart comment at me. And this is Asami!" 

Korra picked up on the names of everyone, but her eyes stayed focused on Asami. When Asami told her that she was here with some friends, she had figured they were more like business people. But these guys seem pretty regular.

She meant that in the best way. 

"Oh Mako! I've missed you, big brother!" Bolin easily grabbed Mako by his jacket collar and pulled him close into a tight bear hug. The man struggled to release himself. 

"Bolin, let go of me!"He finally got away and quickly straightened out his clothes again. 

"Why didn't you tell me us that you have a brother?!" Korra pointed to Bolin with an angry pout.

"Why didn't you tell us you had a brother?" Asami joined in to yell at Mako. The friend groups ganged up on the brothers pretty fast. Mako rubbed the back of his neck, him and Bolin have that in common.

"We uh, don't really talk muc-"

"And you're here with _the_ Asami Sato?!" Bolin's eyes widened. "Alright, it's clear there is a _lot_ of catching up to do!"


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> yeah

"That's incredible!" 

The tan woman beamed brightly as Asami told her about her in-the-making inventions. She was honestly surprised how interested Korra was. Usually when she tells the boys or other acquaintances about this kind of stuff they just wave her off or don't follow.

Korra though, she wanted to know about all of it. It made Asami excited, actually feel alive as she got to go into detail and explained things about her passion of being an engineer. 

The women were able to break apart from their friend groups, finding a small table for themselves in a dimmer corner in the bar. Asami was down two virgin Spicy Cactus and one Jasmine, Korra in a tie with three Jasmine. 

They stayed with their friends all together for a bit for proper introductions, and they all got along very well easily. However, they didn't really get to hear the story behind Mako and Bolin's fall out. Nothing more but "we don't really talk that much." This caused Asami to be curious in her close friend's past, she thought she knew everything about him but it's clear that she doesn't.

But the pale woman doesn't dwell on that then, instead, she took the reuniting for the second time in the night to her advantage and asked to speak with Korra. She found herself truly wanting to get to know her better, she already adored her personality and shamed herself a bit for not trying to converse with her more when she's in the building. Truth be told, the few interactions they had before this night, she always caught herself being a bit more nervous than she should be. It was odd, considering how she speaks to very important people almost daily and never had a problem.

"You know, I was honestly kind of intimidated by you for awhile ..." Korra paused while squinting her eyes slightly and wincing. "For, up until now I guess." 

Asami couldn't help but collapse in to her chair in laughter, holding up a hand to Korra letting her know that she needs a minute to collect herself.

"What's so funny?!" 

Angry pout. The angry pouts. 

Asami struggled to talk without laughing again, Korra just sat there staring in amusement but also confusion. 

"Okay, I'm good. But seriously? You were intimidated by me?"

"Um, well yeah? Can you stop laughing at me!" She defended herself quickly with crossed arms over her chest. "Why is that so hard to believe? You're like this huge, heir to the throne basically, super smart, bea- uh elegant, rich girl." 

Asami's neck heated up, and the warm feeling traveled up to her pale cheeks. She swiftly covered them with her hands and leaned her elbows on the table to make it seem more casual.

No no no no no no no no.

"Well, thank you for the compliments, but I'm hardly any of those things. Plus, I was kind of intimidated by you for ... up until now, I guess."

Korra's eyes nearly popped out of her head as she lost some breath from her lungs, going in to take a sip of her third Jasmine."Now, I know you're not being serious so I'll ignore that." 

"No I'm serious. You have no idea how many things I've heard about you." 

"You hear things about me?!" She leaned the upper half of her body over the table to get closer to Asami, making sure she hears everything she's about to say clearly. "Who's talking?" 

"It's Varrick mainly, and just some other people in the building, I'm not too sure on names. But it's all good stuff." Asami thought back to the many compliments that were said about Korra, and so far she had to agree with all of them. "They're mostly about your work ethic, how talented and humorous you are, although I can't say I can second that last one."

The CEO smirked to her friend playfully, receiving a shocked face in response. She began to stumble over her words but regained herself.

"Are you kidding? I'm hilarious and you know it!"

Asami did know it. She wanted to know more though. 

"I've made you laugh so many times tonight. I've also managed to impress you." One smug look, and overly confident Korra was making a second comeback for the night.

"Oh, with your little game of arm wrestling? I know I could beat you."

"Alright, so is the great, high class engineer challenging me?" 

Asami removed the hands from her cheeks, her blush finally fading. 

Thank god. 

She rolled up a sleeve of her shirt and placed that arm on the surface, an invitation for Korra's arm to join her. 

"I'll destroy you." Narrow green eyes twinkled across the small table and met with surprised blue eyes. Korra's entire body seemed to gleam at the challenge thrown at her from the CEO. She then placed her arm on the surface as well, and the two clapped their hands together.

Asami jumped in her seat at the contact, just barely though, she could hardly feel it herself but she did.

And she hated it, so she ignored it and returned her focus to the game.

"I'll go easy on you, miss, since I've already claimed one easy enough victory for tonight." Korra's grin widened and almost touched both of her ears. "Props to you though for thinking you could take on someone as skilled as me in the fine arts of arm wre-"

"One, two, three, go!" Asami spoke quickly, inaudibly too, and cut off the cocky tan woman by slamming her arm on to the table. It fell silent between the friends as Korra just stared at her with a bundle of emotions. 

"I win." The raven haired woman did her best to hold in her laughter so she could keep her serious look going. 

Just before Korra was about to start up a protest, her head tilted as she looked behind Asami. Asami turned around to see Mako making his way towards their table.

"Hey!" Asami greeted loudly with a hand wave.

Mako leaned closer to his friend so she could understand him over the music and talking. "Sorry to interrupt, but it's one thirty in the morning, and Wu is about to completely black out. I think we should start to get going."

"Are you sure?" 

"Uh, yeah. What do you mean?"

Asami looked back to Korra who's emotions slightly changed as she listened to their departure plan. She wished she could stay longer, but she knew her taller friend was right. The bar was beginning to clear out anyways, though there were still many groups of people scattered there were no large crowds. She sighed softly and stood up, grabbing her small purse from her chair. Korra stood up along with her.

"Are you guys heading out?" Her eyes mostly stayed on Asami. 

"Yeah, I'm sorry but apparently Wu is a mess, and it's getting kind of late." 

"Oh then that makes sense." She stuffed her hands in the pockets of her pants.

The raven haired woman didn't want the night to end, she had such an amazing time with her new friend and finally got to know her a little better. She admired everything about her that she knew so far. 

"But I'll see you on Thursday though, right?" The tan woman spoke up with a small chuckle.

"What's Thursday?" 

"Well, if you're available around maybe six I was thinking we could possibly hang out." Korra started to brush her leg side to side along the wood floor, as if she was trying to distract herself. But then that same smug look appeared. "And I could get a fair redemption game at arm wrestling." 

The suggestion made Asami smile brightly. "I'll have to check my schedule but if I'm not doing anything than of course. If I am, we can just do another night soon so your offer will still stand."

Asami and Mako finally left the club, but not without saying goodbye to their new friends. Asami was glad that everyone got along well and she genuinely hoped that they could all make plans together sometime, although she did pick up on the tension there was between the brothers when her and Korra left. She wished to learn more about them later.

Kai hopped out of Mako's car where he sat with Wu, waiting for the two others to come out so they could leave. Wu's state was, questioning. He was yelling and calling for things that weren't even audible at that point. If this was anyone else, Mako would have been pissed off and shamed them for going over their limit, but he was actually being comforting. 

"You can stay at my place tonight." He told his partner as he got into his car with him. "We can watch a movie or something to calm you down, sober you up whatever."

"Or something." A sly look, Wu gave him. Mako's body tensed, he sighed to himself and started his car. Kai and Asami told them goodnight and see them soon, then they got into Asami's vehicle. 

Once they were on the road, Kai began to talk about the waitress they had met earlier. He filled Asami in on everything, what they spoke about, what they had in common, how beautiful Jinora was, and how they exchange-

"Numbers!" Asami screamed, she accidentally lost control of the car for a quick second and drifted a little, but managed to catch herself and drove steadily again. 

"Hey watch where you're going!" Kai shouted to her with a racing heart, his hands clutching on anything he could find. "Pull that shit and you'll be paying for my hospital bills!" 

"B- but the numbers! Kai, I am such an idiot!" She slowed down when a red light appeared and banaged her head on the steering wheel multiple times, the horn honking for some of them.

"I know, you almost just killed me." And he wasn't making a joke. 

"I didn't get the fucking girl's number! Ugh I cannot believe this. We were together for the entire night basically, we made plans, and I didn't even think about getting her number!" 

"Well to be fair, she didn't think to ask for yours either, so you both are idiots. But oooh, you guys made plans?" Her friend hummed into her ears with raised eyebrows. She turned to him and flicked his forehead, then pressed down on the gas pedal once the light turned green. She ignored him for the rest of the ride as he teased her, as if there was anything to tease.

Kai kept stating his observations on Asami and Korra, and it made Asami slightly uncomfortable. She wasn't big on the whole "shipping" business when it came to her. She wasn't necessarily big on romance in general. The idea of being in a relationship didn't scare her, it just didn't seem like something she could see herself doing. Falling for someone so hard that she couldn't imagine a life without them-

That was not on her schedule. It never has been. 

When anything even becomes so much as a fling, she flees with some lame excuse. One time hookups or the "friends with benefits" thing was fine, as long as it didn't get too much for her. 

So just Kai sitting next to her blabbing on with his nonsense "observations" about her and Korra kind of sickened her. 

Kind of.

They, at last, pulled up to Kai's apartment complex. He said his goodbye by blowing kissy faces towards her, following with a, "Just pretend I'm that friend of yours!" She stuck her middle finger out with a glare and sped away before he could mock her anymore. 

Asami hunched over on the floor of her bedroom, re painting her nails a dark red color that matched her signature lipstick. She had the TV on but muted so she could blast her music. She hummed along to the parts of songs she knew, deep in thought about ... a few things.

Mostly thinking about whether or not she should pinch herself for forgetting the most important step with making a new friend. 

Maybe I could ask Mako to ask Bolin for her number. Or ask Varrick ...

No not Varrick.

She called up Mako, hoping he would be awake as she winced at the time she read on her phone screen; 3:32am. She thanked the spirits that she didn't have anything to do until around two pm the next day, or later that day. Asami waited impatiently for her phone to quit ringing. 

He may be passed out with Wu by n-

"Asami?" Mako heavily breathed into the phone. She could clearly hear the ruffles of bed comforters or blankets in the background, with muffled breathing. Trying to not laugh wouldn't even be remotely possible. She launched her head backwards in a loud cackle as she quite literally caught her friends in the act.

"Why did you answer?!" She was able to get out with snorts. Asami could see Mako's face turning a bright red. 

"Uh, wh- why did you call?" 

"Well, since you're not busy," She smirked and continued with her nails. "Do you think you could do me a favor? Ask your brother for Korra's number for me? Please!" 

Mako huffed as an answer, obviously not wanting to oblige. 

"Mako, seriously. It's one thing and Bolin is your brother, right? Stop being a child." 

"I'll talk to you uh, talk to you tomorrow, Asami!" The woman couldn't even respond before the line went silent. 

If that's how he wants to be, I'll just have to catch her at the building again. Shouldn't be too hard. Plus it will give us another chance to have a conversation. 

Asami finished up with her nails, letting them get fully dry before she turned off her TV, lights, and music. She crawled under her covers and plugged her phone in to the charger beside her bed. She then remembered that she needed to check her schedule for Korra, to make sure her Thursday evening was free. 

As she pulled up the calendar app, she saw that the entirety of the upcoming week had the little gray dots under the dates, meaning she had something to do. With a worried look, she clicked on the 14th and her mouth dropped. Asami has a huge conference ... from 4pm until 11pm. 

A CONFERENCE?? A FUCKING CONFERENCE?? There's no way I can go to that.

But there's also no way that I can't. 

The last thing Asami wanted was to cancel on Korra, she was already so excited to spend more time with her and it was already going so poorly. First the phone numbers, and now she's not even available. 

She wasn't sure why it mattered to her so much so much, but she didn't want the two to have a rocky start like this. Whether her new friend was aware of it or not. 

The pale woman sighed to herself once more, basically glaring at the event marked on her calendar. She scolded herself for probably the seventeenth time that night, this time for forgetting such an important meeting. After awhile, she shut her phone off and placed it on her night stand. 

That night, she slept peacefully, dreaming about strangling Kai the next time she saw him, or possibly embarrassing him in front of Jinora if it begins to work out with the two.


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> gay

The business man's long legs kicked a few papers, pens and pencils off of his area of the table and propped his feet up. He leaned back a bit in his cushioned, swirly chair and clasped his fingers together. The look on his face was currently unreadable.

Varrick did that a lot; leaving his face unreadable. He says it's a great skill to acquire for life, especially when you're in the "business world." 

The young woman physically fought herself not to go up and fiddle with her hair, or let her fingers tangle with each other. She made sure to keep her posture and face as straight as possible, even if she could feel a line of sweat forming on her back. 

Pitching ideas was never an issue for Korra, she was very good at what she did, but this time she found herself being a little more nervous than usual. She remembered back to the night at the bar with Asami who told her how highly Varrick actually speaks of her. It made her proud of course, and way more confident than she already was. However, now she was aware that Varrick talks about her to the heiress. 

_What would she think if my idea went horribly wrong and Varrick told her about it ... Especially with his history of overly exaggerated stories._

Sure Korra had thought that she had made a decent enough impression on the engineer, but she still didn't want to screw things up somehow. Even though they've both already somewhat succeeded in that considering how neither of them have the other's phone number. 

_It's only Monday, I can ask Varrick for her number if this all goes well and he's in a good mood. Plus I'm sure she's been trying to locate my contact information since Saturday, right?_

_Right ..._

The small room stayed silent between the two as Korra stood still at the projector. She waited impatiently for Varrick to decide on something, or at least _say_ something so she would stop itching. After about another long minute, the man stood up abruptly and made his way to stand besides Korra. He looked intently at her idea board that was casted on the screen. The business man narrowed his eyes, placing a hand on his chin.

"Uh, is there anything that I should make more clear?" Korra spoke up, eyeing her boss with a raised brow.

"Nope! You have made yourself very, crystal clear, my friend!" 

"So, do you like my idea?" 

"Of course I do!" Varrick swiftly launched his arm around Korra's neck, causing her to be pretty annoyed as she gave him a glare from below, but it's not like he would notice or care anyways. "Like I said, kid, you're my favorite employee!" 

And Korra somewhat believed that, thanks to Asami.

"Now how about we do everything you want, and then add some of my own jazz! Let's talk deadlines and budget." 

"So how did your pitching go?" Bolin quickly began to interrogate his friend during their lunch break the second he sat down at their round table. 

Korra smiled to herself again, thinking back to Varrick going on about how well thought out her idea was. Though she didn't want to brag, she had to share _some_ of her glory with her co workers. 

"Not to be a show off but he was basically on his knees asking me when we can start putting my plan in motion." She playfully bowed the upper half of her body with a smirk shooting towards Opal and Bolin. They rolled their eyes in response at her usual cockiness. 

"Yeah yeah, anyways have you gotte-"

"Opal." Korra whipped her head and scolded the tanned girl that sat next to her. "I told you, I'm working on it!"

"Working on it? Well thank god you're not this slow with your actual job." Opal mumbled under her breath, but still loud enough to receive a groan from Korra and a chuckle from Bolin.

"You know, you guys are both idiots." The green eyed man started with an obvious tone. Opal shared a shocked expression as she pointed to herself. He shook his head and continued. "No not you, Korra and Asami Sato."

"You can just call her Asami, Bo." Korra huffed, going back to eat her fruit salad. 

"Well it's not like she's our girlfriend, she's yours-"

" _MY_ _WHAT_?!" Korra had to rub her _eyes_ to make sure she heard her friend correctly.

"Alright now, calm down. I'm right though, you're both _idiots_. You were together for an entire night and made plans and didn't exchange _phone_ _numbers_? How did either of you even expect that to work?" 

Korra scratched her cheek lightly, letting out an awkward laugh. "Well, we were just so busy talking it kind of felt like we've actually known each other for awhile. So having to exchanging numbers never really crossed my mind, I'm not sure about her though." 

The three carried on with their lunch, throwing casual banters here and there of course. Their break ended off with Opal having to take a few calls with clients so the other two decided they should get back to their personal offices. 

The work day was coming to an end, a few employees had already left the building, this including both of Korra's friends. She stayed back for awhile so she could work out some final tweaks and minor issues for her newest marketing assignment. Her short hair had turned a bit frizzy, the black blazer she wore earlier was thrown on to one of the arm chairs, and papers were scattered about her desk. The woman wasn't stressed, in fact, she was in her element. Korra worked best when she _told_ _herself_ that she was under pressure even when she knew she wasn't. 

Not entirely at least. She just didn't want to fail and have Varrick embarrass her to Asami.

_Varrick!_

"Hey! I'm really, _really_ sorry to disturb you but do you know where Varrick is right now?" Korra had ran into one of the only offices on her floor that still had an occupant; Mai.

Mai didn't like Korra. At all. 

The gloomy worker with dark eyeliner and eyeshadow to match her hair pulled her eyes away from her phone to look up at her co worker. Her facial expression didn't change, but that wasn't anything surprising. 

"How should I know?" Her voice was rough. Korra would be ashamed to admit that when she first got moved up to this floor, she had a _small_ crush on Mai for a short time. That was before the two had ever had an interaction. 

The tan woman would normally play with her fingers anytime she spoke to this particular peer, which was only when it was extremely necessary, but right now she wasn't in the mood for Mai's bullshit.

"Listen, _I_ _know_ you know where he is, you always seem to know everything that goes on in this place. So can you please for the love of spirits just fucking tell me!" Korra's stance in the doorway shifted to something more grounded. 

Mai was slightly impressed, but she wouldn't let Korra see it. Instead she looked back down to her phone and held up three fingers. "Floor three." 

With that alone, Korra thanked the pale woman and headed straight for the elevator. Luckily it was empty, so she boarded it by herself in a rush to catch Varrick before the man disappeared again. She aggressively tapped her foot on the floor, shoving her hands in her pants pockets, and the ride felt longer that it should have. As soon as the doors cracked open, she was out of there. 

Floor three was mainly filled with student interns, so she figured Varrick would be torturing some poor kids with his _completely_ unrelated stories when they just want to know about the business world. Korra thought to ask someone to point her in a direction towards her boss, but noticed that she didn't know any of the employees there at this time, so she decided not to. She walked around the halls only relying on her sense of hearing to listen for Varrick's voice.

He was always pretty loud when he spoke, so it couldn't be so hard. 

The blue eyed woman peaked in nearly every room she passed, but no such luck of finding her boss the one time she truly _wanted_ to see him. She was about to look into another meeting room when she was nearly scared shitless at the sound of roaring laughter behind her. She turned around so quickly you could say she got whiplash from her bob. 

There stood, or squatted, the business man, hands on his knees holding his upper body up as he hunched over, barely able to breathe. Korra stood there with balled fists and a temper hot enough to explode. If he wasn't her boss, she would have gladly decked him across the jaw. 

_Keep it professional._

"What the hell are you doing?! Wh- what's so funny?!" 

_So professional._

Varrick finally collected himself and perked up to stand straight. "Sorry kid, but you should've soon the look on your stupid little face!" He pointed a slender finger right at Korra's nose, she stared at it in shock then slowly put his hand down. 

"I've been looking all over this floor for you! Where were you?" 

"This floor? Why on earth this floor?" He began walking back down the hallway they both came from. 

"Huh?" She followed after him quickly. "Mai told me you were on the third floor."

"Mai, ugh I love that woman! So deceiving! I was on the fourth floor with Zhu Li, we've been getting pampered all afternoon in the spa." _Spa?_ "Couples back massages, couples feet rubs, couples face masks, couples mud baths, couples manicu-"

"Alright I get it we for _some_ reason have a spa in the building. But anyways, I came to talk to you about Asami. Asami Sato from Future Industries." 

"Asami!" The tan man screamed. Varrick suddenly came to a stop right as they were about to turn down another hallway. Korra was caught off guard and almost stumbled over air, but luckily caught herself. She looked at him with a raised brow, tossing her arms in the air basically saying _"what the hell was that?!"_

The Blackstone hurriedly pulled out his phone, unlocking it, and pressed on a certain contact. He put the caller on speaker while it rang exactly three times before it was answered. 

"Hello, Dear."

"Zhu Li, what was it that the Sato wanted me to do?" 

"Miss Asami Sato or Hiroshi, dear?" Korra could imagine the wife's face herself as she spoke to her husband; it was still and she always looked like she was busy with something. 

"The little one, Asami." 

"She wanted you to contact a new acquaintance of hers, one of your employees. Korra from the eleventh floor in the marketing department. Miss Sato wanted you to pass on her information to her."

Varrick snapped his finger, and it looked like his brain turned on for the first time all day. He thanked his wife and they cut the line. 

"Wait, Asami told you to give me something that is _very_ important and you just _forgot_?" Korra tried to come off as irritated, but she couldn't ignore the wide smile forming on her face even if she tried to. "When did she ask you to do that?"

"Yesterday morning, she said she caught up with you at some club or whoever." Her boss snickered to himself as the young woman stood there with fidgeting hands, watching him as he searched through his phone for the engineer's information. The minute he emailed Korra Asami's personal contacts, she basically fled the building all together, barely being able to wait until she got back to her apartment.

Korra had been staring down at her the her friend's number for the past five or maybe ten minutes. She sat at the small breakfast table that leaned up against her brickstone's bay window, the device laying flat on the surface next to a glass of wine. At first, finally getting Asami's number had been the highlight of her month, now she was terrified about what to do next. 

_Should I call her? No I can't call her, she doesn't even have my number herself. She'd probably block my ID._

_Maybe I could email her. She's this big, fancy, professional business woman. She gets emails all of the time._

_No what the fuck why would I email my friend?! The girl is gonna think I'm some freak._

Korra decided to pour herself another half glass of wine. She got up and walked over to the mini rack of bottles that sat on her kitchen counter.

_But I really need to talk to her. What if she's waiting for me? What if I'm taking so long she thinks I'm ignoring her?_

With just that thought, the business woman sped walked back to her phone, picking it up and clutching it in her hands quickly. She pressed on the number, which gave her the option to either call or text it. 

_Text. Text is always safest._

_Now what do I text her ..._


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> hi

11:12 **hi asami!**

**OH MY SPIRITS**

**why did that sound kinda creepy ... thats my bad !!**

**i promise i'm not a crazy stalker !!!!!!**

**anyways um we're both kind of diots**

**i forgot to get ur number and u forgot to get mine but then u actually DID kind of give me yours but varrick is crazy as you know and forgot to do what you said so you probably thought i was ignoring you which i promise i wasn't !!**

**ALSO i'd still like to see you this thursday**

**if you're free**

11:49 **it's korra by the way**

12:01 **korra from work**

Asami couldn't help but laugh out loud as she re read her friend's texts messages for the fourth, maybe fourteenth time since she had woken up. She was a little upset that the one night she decided to go to bed early, something "important" actually happened in her sleep. The time on her phone said six twenty two am.

_Is Korra awake right now? What time does she usually wake up? Is it too early to respond to her?_

_It's definitely too early._

With a short coming second thought, but ignoring it, Asami threw off her thick covers to stand up and stretch. Though she wished she could have spoken to Korra last night, she was thankful for how properly energized she felt. The engineer didn't have any meetings to attend to or calls to take for the day, but she _did_ really need to work on at least one of her new inventions. Most importantly the design for the new car model. 

The woman scrolled through her phone for a few extra minutes, checking her other messages and emails, then afterwards walked into her bathroom to take a _very_ long shower. She washed her body and hair quite quickly, so for the rest of her time under the steaming water she lost herself in thought. She pondered on a lot of things ... Mostly her upcoming inventions, but she also attempted to come up with solutions to still be able to meet up with the tanned woman in two days. 

Solutions like calling in sick for the conference came up, but she knew that if her father found out that she skipped something so significant for a little cough that she would never hear the end of it. Asami then thought of just rescheduling their plans all together, but she wasn't sure of Korra's schedule or if theirs would even line up frequently. 

Stepping out of the shower, the heiress wrapped her body with a towel and went back into her bedroom. As she always does after a bath, she checks her phone. It was still pretty early in the morning, so the only notifications she had received were mostly spam emails from god knows what she had signed up for in the past. Glancing at the time on her screen, she figured maybe sending a responding text to Korra wouldn't be such a bad idea.

_It's not like if she's not awake the text won't go through._

_Okay now what do I text? Maybe I could just say good morning to start._

Asami re wrapped her towel to make sure it was secure before sitting on the edge of her bed, her phone clutched in her hand, the new message chat with Korra staying open. She felt like the bright blue texts were mocking her the longer she stared at them while biting the nails of her free hand. The green eyed woman grew frustrated with herself as she failed to find a simple combination of words. She texted Mako, Kai, and Wu and many other of her friends or acquaintances with no problem, so why was this so difficult for her? 

She grew a slight jealousy for Korra, thinking about how easy it probably was for her to send these simple messages, even if they seemed to have a bit of panic behind them. Asami tried a few starters, but deleted them all before they could even finish. A little while later, she finally decided on an answer. 

_**hey korra!** _

The CEO suddenly felt the urge to chuck her phone across the room and busy herself with anything that didn't involve having to be on her device. She didn't though, knowing she still had more to respond to. She reminded herself to just keep it as casual as possible, just as if they were still having a conversation from the bar a few nights back. 

_**lmao i know it's you korra. u dont sound like a stalker dont worry** _

_**sorry for responding so late i fell asleep kinda early last night** _

_**and yeah im still up for thursday!** _

She cursed at herself, she was already lying to her new friend.

**_i just have a small conference earlier in the day but 6 still works_ **

Lying again, but Asami was glad that she got that out of the way, at least until Korra woke up and she'd have to do it all over again. She set her phone on to her short dresser, faced upside down, and decided to turn on her TV while she finally got ready for the day.

It was around nine in the morning now, Asami had left her apartment and went to her main workshop at her father's house, or mansion. She continued to sketch possible designs for the new car model when the chime of a text message went off from her phone. The green eyed woman stood from the messy working table and traveled to her neat desk across the room. Picking up her phone, the first thing she saw on the lit screen were messages from a certain friend.

**hey morning :)**

Asami sighed with a small smile appearing on her face. She took a seat in her large chair and waited for the three little bubbles to turn into words. 

**oh and perfect then!**

**for thursday i mean, not that u have a conference**

_yeah i just hope its not as boring as i think its gonna be_

_so where do you want to meet  
_

**since it will be like evening we could just get dinner or something**

**oh my spirits i know a GREAT place in kuruk !! it's mostly a seafood restaurant tho, idk if you like that**

Asami was somewhat familiar with the town, but not all that much. She was happy to see how enthusiastic the younger woman was, though. 

_i actually love seafood so that's great_

Their conversation began to flow pretty gracefully as they replied to each other back and forth instantly. They talked about pretty simple things; cracking a few jokes at how early Asami went to sleep and woke up, how _late_ _Korra_ went to sleep and woke up, how dumb they were to forget each other's numbers, and how annoying Varrick was for kind of being apart of the problem. Korra then said that she arrived at the building, so she had to go, but assured each other that they would talk later. They said their goodbyes and the CEO carried on with her sketches.

But not without tiny grins cracking every time she thought forwards to Thursday evening.

Asami pulled into the parking lot of the restaurant; Ummi's. It was a very fine building, with a few sculpted designs from the owner's clear southern culture. The business woman wore what she did to the conference, she picked it out very carefully before her meeting to make sure that it was also dining appropriate. She had on a fitted black tank underneath a cream colored blouse, gray slacks that covered her long legs and simple black heels. A few pieces of jewelry scattered around her figure; gold bracelets and layered necklaces. 

The pale woman strutted into the restaurant, fixing up her hair a tad so it was perfectly waved and fluffed. She asked the man in the front for a reservation under the name of Korra. He, with some attitude, motioned for her to follow him to their booth. He led her into the farther end of the restaurant, on their journey she felt a small pit sitting at the bottom of her stomach. She twiddled with a zipper on her pocketbook as they turned a corner.

_Shit, why am I so nervous? Is my hair messed up?_

She combed through a few strands of her hair _again_. 

They finally, after it felt like light years of walking, stopped at a booth. Asami found herself locked with the blue eyed woman who sat nicely at an empty booth with red seats.

"Asami!" She beamed with the brightest smile she's seen since the past Saturday night. 

Korra looked amazing. So casual, but simply amazing. Her short bob was clearly well brushed opposed to the usual frizz it had at times. She settled with wearing a loose, light blue button up shirt, leaving the top two buttons open and the sleeves rolled up to her elbows, slightly baggy dark blue jeans and white high top sneakers. 

Asami quickly caught herself staring and stopped as the waiter spoke up.

"Are you going to take a seat?" He groaned, flipping out a menu in his hand. 

"Oh right!" 

The heiress took a seat, trying to refuse from making eye contact with Korra, who took the opportunity to move a little closer to her in the booth. Asami looked up to see Korra messing with her fingers for a moment. 

"Do you guys know what you want yet?" The waiter questioned. Asami read the nametag clipped on to his uniform; Desna. 

"We'll only need a minute." Korra informed him. He stood there, almost too still, waiting for the friends to make their choices. 

They both opened up their menus to find something satisfying, although it didn't take Korra that long to decide. She turned to her friend wondering what she would choose. Asami winced at the tens of options out in front of her, applying a crooked grin to her face.

"Not sure honestly. Any suggestions? What's their best?" 

"Well, I'm just getting my usual which is the Seaweed Noodles, but they're best is probably the Five Flavor Soup ." 

"Those both sound good." Her stomach grumbled, she had barely eaten the food they had at the conference. "How are the steamed dumplings?" 

"Oh my spirits the dumplings here are amazing! You should definitely get those!" 

Asami delightfully agreed and they gave their orders to Desna, also asking for a bottle of light wine and kale cookies as the appetizer. Their waiter left with shuffling feet carrying his stiff posture. The two women finally got to turn to each other to speak properly. 

Uncalled for nerves stood in their throats, making Korra forcefully croak out an awkward laugh.

"What's up with that guy?" The tanned woman started. 

"No idea. When I walked in and asked for your name he kind of gave me attitude." They both laughed shortly.

"So, uh, how did your conference thing go?" Korra looked at Asami's outfit and raised on eyebrow. "When exactly did it end?"

"Oh, I well I actually just came from it." 

"I thought you said it was earlier in the day. Are you lying to me, green eyes?" The blue eyed woman smirked playfully, causing Asami's body to tense up as she broke eye contact. 

_Green eyes._

"Not lying ... just not telling the entire truth? The meeting _started_ earlier today, but is supposed to end kind of late." 

"Late when?" 

"At like eleven pm, maybe." The business woman's soft mumble made Korra burst into short fit or laughter, it gave Asami a small chance to admire her new friend.

The way she tilted her head back and rested her hands on her stomach, her eyes closed shut. She looked- really pretty. 

_No, stop it._

Korra's phase finally died down, but chuckles continued to release from her mouth. "You're kidding! What the hell are you doing here then?"

"I guess you could say I escaped-"

"Escaped?! Asami Sato, am I becoming a bad influence on you?" 

"Ha ha, you're so funny." She responded with a straight face, though she was dying to let out a grin.

Korra gasped loudly. "What will the media say?" She scooted even closer and swung her arm around the heiress's shoulder, extending the other one out into the air. "Future Future Industries owner takes a dip on her conference for a night on the town with mystery woman! Mystery woman not yet identified, but has the features of beautiful bright blue eyes, charming smile, _amazing_ muscles, and the most delicate looking brown skin." 

Asami eyed the dramatic woman and crossed her arms. "Are you seriously going to tease me on this? I left the meeting to spend time with you, anyways. Otherwise we would've had to reschedule." 

"Oh, so you admit I'm fun to be around." 

_She's so confident._

"Nope." The CEO spoke, with the "p" ending in a pop sound. Korra was about to respond with a smart comment, but then saw their waiter making his way towards them. He arrived at their booth with a tray, setting down the basket of kale cookies, two full glasses of water, two empty fancier looking glasses, and a bucket of ice with a bottle of wine poking from it.

"Your meals should be here shortly." The women couldn't say thank you before he shuffled away again, heading towards other customers. They giggled at his actions and began to dig in on the appetizer. The picked up on another conversation, this time Korra telling Asami about her day at work.

"You have no idea how hard it's been having Varrick around." Korra complained while munching on a cookie.

"Isn't he always around?"

"Yeah, but now he is _always_ around. Though better because now he can watch me while I work, but worse because now he can _watch_ me while I work." She pouted her face and scrunched her eyebrows together.

_The angry pout._

"You know, you do that a lot." Asami began to point out, leaning her head gently on her arm and resting it on the table.

"Do what?" 

"Pout your face angrily. You did it on Saturday, too." 

"Oh! Y- you notice that stuff?" Korra tensed, quickly looking everywhere but the person who only sat a few inches from her. She rubbed the back of her neck. 

The heiress noticed how she made Korra slightly uncomfortable, and couldn't help herself to not let out a low chuckle while smirking. 

_Not so confident now._

Desna eventually delivered their food to them, steaming hot. The tanned woman's eyes lit up when her dish was placed in front of her. Asami could swear she could see animated sparkles around her head. Korra picked up her chopsticks and began slurping up her noodles rather quickly. Asami laughed for an underestimate of one hundred times so far that night.

"So, do you still want to do something or are you already sick of me?" Korra nudged Asami lightly with her shoulder. 

"Of course I'm still up for something." She replied back with a heavy smile.

The two friends had finished their meal, but stayed at the restaurant simply talking for another hour after that. They then decided that it was time to head out. The business women fought over who was paying for the longest time, a _very_ long time, and finally settled on both paying for their own meals, but Korra paid for the wine and kale cookies since the night out was her idea. 

They walked into the parking lot, heading for the engineer's car. 

"Wait, did you drive here?" 

"Um, no actually. I took a cab since I don't live too far from here." 

"Fair enough." Asami unlocked her car and they climbed inside. Korra quickly scoped out the vehicle which made the green eyed woman laugh. "You looking for something?" 

"No it's just- is this one of your models?" 

"It is, what gave it away?"

"I don't know, but this is amazing! I've definitely never told you how much I admire _your_ work, but I do. You're kind of a genius, I guess." 

"Thank you, Korra." Heat rushing, once again, from her necks to her cheeks. Asami felt like someone had just hit her with a mega tank and run her over multiple times afterwards. Her face flushed in pink as she simply prayed that Korra wouldn't be able to notice. The air in the car grew thick as they went silent, and they could both feel it. The pale woman started up the engine. 

"So, where are we going?"

"Well, it's a little late to go to the park or anything, so we could head back to my place if you don't mind."

_Korra's place, as in her home like where she lives._

And that was perfectly fine, Asami knew it too, so why did she _feel_ something? Like another bundle of nerves, or the same ones from when the night first began making a reappearance. 

"That sounds perfect. Address?" She managed to get out past her drying throat. 


	7. chapter seven

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ok

_So Asami is actually in my apartment right now. She's taking off her blouse and hanging it on my coat rack._

Honestly, Korra from two weeks ago probably would have done a few flips just at the idea of inviting over someone so "important," but as of now it felt pretty normal to her. She wasn't allowing Asami Sato into her home. She wasn't hanging out with the heir of the greatest company in the world. She wasn't spending her Thursday night with a technology _genius_.

She was just with Asami, and Korra liked that. 

"Now, mind giving me a tour?" Asami spun around, her wavy raven hair bouncing and falling back down to her body. Korra smiled at the suggestion. 

"As you wish." She bent over to bow in front of Asami, earning a loud laugh from her in return. 

Korra's brownstone apartment wasn't _huge_ , but it was still very nice and pretty spacious. The brownstone consisted of a kitchen, living room, dining room, two bedrooms, a full bathroom and one half, and a small room filled with gym equipment that was originally meant to be a library or an office. As the tour went on, Asami had lost herself to Korra pointing out small things and telling little stories. She was fascinated by the way the tanned woman decorated her apartment. 

The furniture mostly stuck to a dark blue and dark brown wood theme, which was quite opposite to Korra's natural personality that was usually lively and bright. Korra had pictures of her family and friends almost everywhere you could look. 

Korra then came to a quick halt in a hallway, causing Asami to literally bump into her back and stumble a bit. The younger woman turned around at the impact. 

"That's my bad!" She waved her hands a little franticly at the engineer. "Are you good?"

Asami nodded her head, teasing her a bit for being so concerned over the slightest hit. Korra ignored her remarks and opened the door in the hallway that she had stopped at. The closet had the most junk food to ever be seen that was stuffed in such a small compartment. Korra extended her arms, motioning towards the tens of snacks in front of the two women, with a nervous crooked smile on her face. 

"Okay, uh, pick anything you want!" She exclaimed. Asami stayed silent for a few seconds just staring into the closet.

_Fuck. Now she's thinks I'm a big ass freak._

"I, um, don't only eat junk food, if that's what you think." 

The green eyed woman could only smile down at Korra for a moment. "I don't care about your _junkie_ addiction, Korra. You gonna tell me why your snacks are in the hallway, though?"

A rub on the neck, not from nerves but from a small ting of embarrassment, even though Asami assured her that nothing was embarrassing. "Honestly, because this is closer to my bedroom than the kitchen." The heiress began to laugh, quickly covering up her mouth as she caught herself. Korra pouted angrily and stuck a finger in her face. "Hey, it's not funny!" 

"Yes it is." 

"Okay well _my_ _apologies_ that I don't like walking a distance in the pitch black at four in the morning when I just want some gummy watermelons." She crossed her arms and leaned against the wall space across from the closet, eyeing the taller woman with a huff who seemed to pay her attitude no mind.

"You're doing it again."

"Doing what?"

"The angry pou-"

"Alright that's enough!" Korra threw her arms in the air to shut Asami down. "Just pick anything you want and I'll be in the living room." 

Before the CEO could answer with some teasing joke, the blue eyed woman was off in a speed walk towards her common room. She let out a breath that was being held in her lungs as she truthfully felt the air get lighter around her. Korra searched for the remote control, then used it to turn on the television. 

"Hey green eyes!" She called out to her friend, who was still taking her time at the snack closet. "You alright?!" 

"I'm perfect!" 

Korra raised her eyebrow at the slightly muffled response, but overall chose to ignore it. "You wanna watch a movie?" The heiress didn't answer, instead, she shuffled out from the hallway and finally entered the living room. 

Korra looked up to the new presence and just gazed. Asami was struggling to carry about seven completely different kinds of snacks in her arms. As some of the items began to fall, she dropped and spread them all out on the coffee table that sat in front of the main couch. She let out a sigh of exhaustion, propping her hands on her hips. Korra stared down at the food, half of them she didn't even know she had.

"What? Did I bring out your special muffins that no one but you is supposed to touch or something?" Asami teased lightly.

"Do you have _snacks_ at your place?" Korra had to laugh.

"Um, of course I do."

"Oh yeah? What kind?" 

"You know, protein bars, granola bars, fruit, I think some crackers-"

"Okay, Veggietales, I get the point. You _don't_ have snacks at your place. That's fine though, I always have shit here for whenever you want something." 

Korra paused for a split second at her wording but shook it off, not trying to dwell on anything right now. The two sat back into the couch, on opposite sides, and already opened up some food. Korra wouldn't admit it, but she found herself watching Asami at times while she searched for a movie and the raven haired woman's face lit up with each new snack that she shoved into her mouth. Korra found it slightly adorable. She's now seen a completely different side to Asami rather than what she's seen at the building or heard from her peers. 

"Wait that one looks good!" Asami spoke up, snapping Korra from her thoughts and returning her attention to the tv screen. A horror movie with the name of _The Babadook_ was shown, told to be about a single mother who battles with her son's fear of a monster lurking in the house, but soon discovers a devil-like presence in their home.

It looked scary as hell, and Korra liked that. 

"You seriously wanna watch this?!" She turned to Asami with a stupid, giddy expression on her face. 

"Yeah why wouldn't I?" She ripped a piece of a twizzler with her mouth, looking down in the bag to see how much was left. 

"I don't know, I just figured you wouldn't really like horror that much." Korra scratched her cheek, getting up to dim the lights with the switch then sitting back down on the couch, this time a little closer to the engineer's body. "Plus not a lot of my friends like this stuff, I honestly think I've only ever watched an entire horror movie with my dad." 

"Well perfect for both of us then, we can watch them together." Asami smiled and shifted herself a bit. Korra nodded, finally clicking on the _Play_ option and hitting middle button on the remote. 

They were nearing the middle point of the movie, and it's safe to say that they were both pretty on edge. Neither of them had suspected for the film to be so disturbing already, but that's what they get for not watching the trailer. Thankfully though, they were both enjoying themselves. Korra was thrilled to have met someone who shares _so_ _much_ in common with her, she didn't think anyone other than Opal or Bolin could pass a certain line but Asami already had. 

It was unbelievable. 

Korra caught herself eyeing Asami again, for maybe the fiftieth time since they arrived at her apartment. Her body was scrunched up into the arm of the couch, knees touching her chest and arms wrapped around them with her head resting on top.

_Is she cold? Does she get cold easily? Should I give her a blanket or something? Or a sweatshirt?_

_Ugh I can't give her a sweatshirt they're all gross._

"Hey," Korra grabbed Asami's attention. She could feel her piercing green eyes burning into her, it made her body feel weird. "Are you cold? Do you want a blanket or something?" 

"Nope, I'm good."

"Okay. If you need anything though you can just tell me." Asami nodded in response, then they both turned back to the movie. 

They reached the climax, so the amount of jump scares that came up suddenly were too many to count. The two women were startled at times, slightling flinching in their seats and then laughing at each other afterwards. Eventually, Asami stretched out her body a bit more, having now laying on her side. Her legs were still close together, barely grazings Korra's lap. The tanned woman looked down to her friend that kept brushing against her, she could easily tell that Asami wished to be more comfortably spread out.

Without a second thought, Korra picked up Asami's legs and laid them nicely down in her lap. The CEO looked up at her with a confused look.

"You're welcome." Korra announced in her cocky tone and a smirk. Her friend huffed a laugh, ignoring her confidence but moving a little so that now she was full comfortable. Asami looked absolutely adorable being nestled up to the couch and relaxing herself on Korra. 

It made the blue eyed woman oddly _happy_. 

* * *

"You have work tomorrow, right?" Asami questioned as they entered Korra's kitchen with a pizza box. 

Towards the resolution of the movie, the women grew bored of simply just snacks, so Korra offered to order a box of pizza for them. They had fought briefly, again, over who would pay. This time Asami won overall, saying it was her treat to Korra for inviting her over.

"Yeah, I actually don't have an off days for the next two weeks at the least." 

"Wait why?" 

"I have this big assignment to work on, so I told Varrick that off days won't be necessary again until I deliberately ask for one." 

"That's gotta be annoying, but I'm glad you're so determined for your project." 

Asami traveled around Korra's kitchen as they spoke, gladly washing and putting away the cubs and plates they had used. The heiress moved with such ease. Korra admired her from her seat at the bay window's table. She leaned her head on her hand, resting her arm onto the surface. Asami finally turned around, catching Korra in the act and causing the blue eyed woman to look at some random painting on a wall. 

_God that painting is ugly. I should take it down._

"I guess. But what are _your_ plans for tomorrow? Anymore conferences that you'll be escaping from to hang out with me?" Korra went on with a playful smirk. Asami rolled her eyes and made her way back at the small table. 

"No, for your information. I just have a few calls to make and I'll probably be working on one of my inventions until three in the morning." 

"Well, I'll definitely be up at that hour so you can always text me." Korra piped up, she noticed herself sounding way more enthusiastic about the idea then she should've been. 

"I'll be sure to consider you." 

About another hour passed, the business women were entirely lost in their conversations about countless topics. They were having the best time with each other, however, Asami soon noticed what time it was; nearing midnight. She stood from the table abruptly, shocking Korra.

"Woah! You okay?" Korra asked concerned. 

"Oh yeah," She waved off her friend. "I just didn't realize how late is, it's midnight. I should get home so you can sleep for work." She walked over to the front door, slipping on her blouse and heels quickly but hesitantly. Korra stood up slowly and followed Asami. 

"When do you think you'll be back to visit the building?"

_Why should it matter?_

"Actually I think I'm going in to just watch some of those new student interns near the end of January, just to take notes I guess." She finished getting herself ready to leave. Korra nodded faintly, then offered to walk Asami to the front, front door. They ended up getting there quicker than Korra wanted them to.

"Okay so," she fiddled with her fingers. "I'll see you around?" 

"See me _around_?" The raven haired woman quirked her eyebrow up with a slightly tilted head. "You have _no_ idea how much fun I had tonight, Korra. I think I like hanging out with you more than my guys, honestly. But definitely don't tell them that." 

Heat rising, cheeks burning.

_Fuck._

"Me too." Is all Korra could manage to get out.

"I know you said you don't have any off days, but do you think you could still hang in the evening?" 

"Probably, if I don't keep myself at the building or up in my living room working on my project." 

"Perfect. I'll be over again this Saturday at around eight." 

"Wait wh-" Korra blinked and Asami was already getting into her car on the opposite side of the road. If it were a regular time, she would've screamed something over to her friend, but she never better than to bother the people of Republic City at this hour. Especially considering one of her cranky neighbors who also happens to be chief of police. 

Asami stuck her hand out of the window of the driver's seat, waving goodbye to Korra before she drove off, possibly a little bit over the speed limit. Korra displayed a dopey grin and headed back inside her apartment.

She flopped down on to her soft bed, with the same childlike expression since the start of the night. Korra was in a frenzy of happiness. 

_I have_ got _to talk to Bo and Opal._


	8. chapter eight

Asami _did_ go over to Korra's apartment that Saturday evening at eight o'clock. She came over the following Tuesday as well, and the Thursday and the Friday. Basically any evening that Asami didn't have something extremely important to work on, she would visit her friend. Spending time together almost became a daily thing. 

Most of the time when Asami went over, Korra would still be working on her big project, and the heiress would often find herself either distracting Korra or helping her. Whatever the situation was, whether they sat in silence while Asami read and Korra worked, they were lost in another one of their long conversations, or they were just watching a movie together, the two women couldn't imagine spending their evenings elsewhere. 

However, the nights that Asami _wasn't_ at Korra's, she was actually quite lonely. Before befriending her, she never noticed how quiet her workshop or apartment were. She grew bored and tired of the silence with herself too quickly. Sometimes she would call up the guys and ask if they wanted to come over, and they always did of course, so she appreciated that greatly.

But still, even when they were there with her, she still felt a piece of loneliness hanging on. 

Thankfully as of now, she didn't feel that.

"Hey, green eyes!" Korra had gotten quite comfortable with this nickname, and the engineer didn't mind one bit.

"Yeah?" She called out in response, without looking up from her book. 

"Do you know where I put Varrick's notes?" The tanned woman sped walk into the living room from the dining room, frantically moving around in a search. "I- I put them in a little pile, they're sticky notes, all different colors. Have you seen them?" 

Asami giggled to herself. "You left them on the kitchen counter."

"Oh, thanks!" She was about to take off until she heard Asami turning another page in her book. "What are you reading?" 

"A book, the same book I've been reading for the past three days." 

Korra didn't find this as much of an answer. So instead, she jumped over the couch from behind, landing not so gracefully on the cushions. The quick action made strands of her brown hair fall from out of her ponytail. Asami finally removed her eyes from the page to look at Korra. 

"Yeah, but what book? What's it about?" 

"Don't you have a project to work on?" Asami eyed Korra strangely, pointing a playful finger at her friend's face. Korra blinked at Asami's finger, then smacked it away. 

"But I like when you tell me things." She positioned herself to now be resting her head on Asami's lap, locking eyes with her from below. "Plus I need a break, anyways. Just explain to me what's so interesting about that thing." 

The CEO's face grew an undeniably bright shade of pink.

_Why does she do this?_

_Thank god for Korra's obliviousness._

"Please?" A wide grin pleaded with squinted eyes.

After seeing the crooked smile, she decided to tell the blue eyed woman about her book. She grew lost in the knowledge she had of her book. She was spilling out everything she knew, and Korra did nothing else but listen, but Asami didn't even notice. She was in the middle of explaining how the main character knew they didn't want to be a villain anymore when she was interrupted. 

"I love when you do that." Blue eyes gleamed with fascination, making the heiress a bit nervous. She stopped her arms from moving in the air to look down at the woman in her lap.

"Sorry?"

"When you get all excited about something, I guess. You do it when you talk about your work, too. It's inspiring." 

_Oh my spirits. Why does she **do** **this**?_

"Oh, thanks. Anyways back to what I was saying, with no interruptions, please."

Korra tossed up her hands in surrender. Asami continued with her explanation, ending it off with where she was in the book now, almost the resolution. It always shocked her at how Korra was actually paying attention to what she was saying, even when it was about something that Korra didn't have the slightest idea of what was happening. Just like at the bar, it made the green eyed woman _excited_. 

"Well that is definitely different than what I had in mind." Korra spoke up after the summary. 

"Care to elaborate?" 

"I honestly thought that you would be reading some romance novel."

"Why would you think that? I thought you knew me better." Asami tossed a fun grin. 

"I don't know. Come to think of it, we've never actually _talked_ about each other's love lives." 

_Korra, please. Not this nonsense._

The tanned woman left Asami's lap, turning her body to lay on her stomach with her legs in the air. She had her hands squishing her cheeks to hold her head up, and the pale woman found it slightly adorable.

_She looks like a kid._

"So, Miss Future Industries, what's going on with you?" 

"You know if I was interested in or seeing someone, I would tell you."

"I guess so. But tell me about your past relationships at least. Come on, green eyes." Korra poked her friend's shoulder twice with a smug look. 

_Can this conversation please just be over already?_

She itched her cheek, trying to break the eye contact with the woman who sat like a child. Once she did, she felt her heart rate calm down a little. She took a deep breath and told herself that the faster she spoke, the faster Korra would let this go.

"Actually, I've never really _been_ in a _relationship_." 

"Wait, seriously?" 

"You're shocked?" 

"Yeah I'm shocked! You're _Asami_ _Sato_!" 

"My name doesn't correlate to my love life, _Korra_." A small, forced laugh. 

"I- I know that." Silence filled the room briefly. "Um, Asami?" 

The CEO hummed, finally being able to look the younger woman in the eyes again.

"I'm just wondering, and obviously you don't have to tell me, but is there like, a _reason_ that you've never been in a relationship? Did something happen?" Korra looked to Asami, longing for some sort of answer. She sat herself up properly to let Asami know that this was a serious conversation she was looking for. 

"No." Asami answered bluntly. "I just don't really like the idea of being in one. I've done the occasional one night stands and then some, but anything more is kind of ... terrifying."

"Oh really?" The business woman smirked.

"A relationship can't bring much good. Heartbreak, disappointment, too much attachment. It's like _asking_ to run into a pothole, you know?"

Korra didn't just laugh, she _screamed_ an _obnoxiously_ loud cackle and fell on to her back on the cushions. Instead of admiring the way Korra laughed, like she usually does, Asami twitched her eyes in annoyance. She didn't understand what could possibly be so funny after just pouring her thoughts about something very personal out. 

"Are you kidding me?" Asami looked to the laughing mess her friend was in disgust. She waited very impatiently for the mocking to die down. 

"Sorry for laughing, and I respect your view on things, but I just think that that has to be the _stupidest_ thing I have ever heard."

Asami shook her head at what was just said, pursing her lips and narrowing her brows. "Oh yeah? So you're telling me that _all_ of your past relationships have been smooth?"

"I never said that! In fact, I could name a few that were pretty fucking awful."

"I stand by what I've said. Keeping my heart untouched keeps me unhurt." The CEO stood from the couch, a bit bothered by the conversation at this point. She left the living room to go to Korra's kitchen and stuck her head in the refrigerator. Without a doubt, the blue eyed woman ran after her friend while attempting to hold in her laughing fit. 

"Is that what you believe, green eyes?" The short haired woman leaned over the wrap around counter, smiling when she saw the pile of Varrick's notes she thought she had lost.

"Yes, Korra. It is." Asami snapped quickly.

_Shit. Why did I say it like that?_

Korra's eyes widened instantly at the new tone of voice. She took a deep breath and walked close to the engineer, grabbing her attention from the refrigerator. "Asami, I'm sorry if I may have crossed a line or anything. I didn't mean to poke at you, I was just playing aroun-"

"No, it's okay. I didn't mean to get so _defensive_."

"Um, good. I don't want you to be upset with me." Korra rubbed the back of her neck.

_How could I ever be upset with you?_

_Wait hold on-_

"Anyways, maybe you're just not ready for a relationship right now. You did say something about attachment. Maybe you have commitment issues, which is fine obviously. But don't go blocking out good people who you could see yourself with." Korra went on while finding her place back at the counter.

"And that means?"

"It sounds kind of cheesy, but honestly, you may just have to find the right person." 

_What the hell does that even mean?! Sometimes this girl is very bad at being clear with her words._

"Have you done that before?" Asami questioned.

Korra paused for a moment, looking straight across the counter to meet green eyes. "No." 

* * *

"What do you think about this one?"

"I don't know, Asami. For the _last_ time, I am the _last_ person you should be asking about this stuff. Why didn't you call Wu?"

"Because everytime I ask for his help he just completely takes over and turns everything into a mess." Mako shot her an offended eyebrow raise. "No offense!" Asami perked out quickly. 

Asami had texted Mako about some "emergency" that was she having. He had a longer lunch break that day, so he agreed to meet with her at a bagel place, called Acolyte's, that was close to his work. She was currently struggling with finding a gift for a certain friend of hers. 

"Can you just help me?" 

"I _am_ helping!" He spat out.

Their waiter came over to place their orders on the small table. The golden eyed man settled on a plain bagel, lightly toasted with butter; quite suiting. The younger Sato ordered a sesame seed bagel, toasted with cream cheese. They thanked the waiter, and they left with a head nod. 

Asami turned back to her phone, pulling up her final options to show Mako. "I narrowed it down to either two things; this necklace or this wine holder, the one she has right now is too small."

"Don't get her a necklace."

"Why not?" 

"Because it'll look like you're proposing to her. I mean, unless that's what you want-"

" _What_?!" She screamed to her friend, a little too loudly since a few customers from around eyed the two. "Proposing?! With a _necklace_? How?"

"For someone as smart as you, you know nothing about southern culture. A well known tradition for them is to propose to their partner with a betrothal necklace instead of a ring." He took a large bite out of his lunch. "Why are you even getting her a gift? Does she have a birthday coming up?"

"Her birthday is in April, so not really. I'm getting her a gift because she's been so nice to me and we haven't even _really_ known each other for that long." 

"You never got me a gift. We've been friends for two years."

The heiress put her phone down to respond with a grin. "Aren't I the one who introduced you to Wu?"

" _That_ was my 'thanks for being such a great friend' gift?"

"Of course it was. I'm surprised you're just now noticing." 

"I'm pretending you actually mean that. Anyways, you should get her a bracelet."

Asami groaned. "I've never even _seen_ her wear any kind of jewelry. The necklace was a stretch."

"Okay, well ... how about a gift card?"

"Are you serious? I can't get that girl a gift card!" Asami dropped her bagel back on to its plate, making more noise for the second time. 

"Alright alright, calm down. Why are you freaking out over this?"

Truth be told, Asami had no idea why this was such a big deal to her. Her cheeks flushed pink with thoughts, thoughts that another part of her brain managed to push aside on its own. 

"I just want to do something nice for Korra." She decided on saying.

Thankfully, Mako shrugged it off and returned to his plain bagel. The CEO and the detective spoke about small things while enjoying their lunch, until Asami brought up a bigger topic.

"Are you ever going to tell me about that secret brother of yours?"

The slender man coughed into his hand a bit, blinking his eyes. "Who, Bolin?"

"Um, yes? Yes Bolin. He's one of Korra's best friends which means he's my friend." _Woah_. "So what happened between you two? When was the last time you talked? How come we've been friends for years but I knew _nothing_ of a brother? Do you have any other siblings I don't know about?" 

"There's not much to say. We just had a falling out after I graduated high school. I moved on quickly to work my ass off and become a detective, and he had other ideas in the movie world, and now the business world apparently." 

"Why haven't you guys seen each other though? What about holidays?"

"Aside from us not having parents, our family on our dad's side is _humungous_. It's insanely easy to not see someone at gatherings. Plus you know I only stop by to say hello to my grandmother, I never really stay long." He called over their waiter and asked for their checks. 

"So you didn't even know he lived in Republic City?" 

"Republic City is big, Asami, if we hadn't gone to that bar that one night, I wouldn't have know. Besides from maybe you being mutuals with him." 

They paid the little amount that their bills came up to, thanked the waiter once again and left Acolyte's. Asami offered to walk Mako back to his car.

"Good luck on finding that gift, by the way." He said from the window of his car.

"Yeah, and thanks for all of your so greatly appreciated help!" A sarcastic tone. 

The friends shared a laugh, and both of them departed from the bagel place. Mako headed back to work since his lunch was nearly over, and Asami went to her apartment. She wasn't all that busy during the day, but in the afternoon into the night she would be working on two things; taking calls with Future Industries' best clients and trying to find something that would be good enough for Korra. 

Just as she pulled into her space at her complex's parking lot, Asami heard her phone go off from a text message. She turned off her car to pull out the device from her bag.

**HAVE OYOU WATCHED THE SOCIETY ??????  
**

Korra. Of course.

_NO I HAVEN'T_

_what is it?_

**it's this show on netflix**

**come over friday night to watch some of it with me**

Friday, in two days from now. Asami checked her calendar to be positive that she had nothing on that night. Once she was sure, she said yes to the plans.

_okay ill be there_

_should i bring anything?_

**no**

**WAIT**

**bring your fine ass 😏😏**

The tall woman nearly jumped in her seat. Her heart rate picked up for a moment then eased back down as she thought of some response. 

_korra, are you flirting with me?_

**no**. 

**okay i have to get back to my project**


	9. chapter nine

The red car slowed, pulling into a stop in the small and mostly empty parking lot. 

"Where exactly are we?" The raven haired woman looked around the area, still unsure of where her friend had taken her. Korra looked at her from her own seat, slightly laughing at the confusion.

"The woods." The southerner answered briefly. She was met with a glare from green eyes, but of course ignored it. "I told you, I just wanted to go somewhere different for once instead of just my place or some restaurant." 

Asami didn't question her further, and both women unbuckled their seat belts to leave the car. They were dressed in very casual clothing, as Korra had planned. She wore a lighter blue, loose tank top to "let her biceps breathe," heavy sweatpants and sneakers. Asami had put her hair into a high ponytail and settled on wearing a tight, long sleeved shirt, joggers, and sneakers. 

Korra went to the trunk of the vehicle to grab the few items that she had decided to bring; a thin blanket, a picnic basket, and obviously a bottle of wine. 

"You ready?" She perked up once everything they needed were in their hands.

"Is the mystery destination far?" 

"Far? Of course not, you know me. It's a fifteen minute walk at most, and nothing is uphill."

_I think._

"Sounds perfect." Asami responded with an excited smile, and so, they headed off. 

Thankfully, the woods weren't as bug filled as they usually were that day, but they definitely had to fan off a few anyways. Korra was surprisingly right about the trail, it was a little rocky but mostly just flat land. They were nearing the secret destination, and Korra could easily tell due to the different kind silence. 

"It's right there!" She began to walk much faster, making Asami stumble a bit behind her as she tried to keep up with the tanned woman. 

" _Where_ is _there_?" The heiress called out but received no answer. 

They were both now standing a few feet from a wide, long dock that led out into the most still lake either woman had ever seen. The location was beautiful, far more appealing than Korra had thought it would be. The water wasn't blue or crystal clear, but the sun rays still glistened on its surface. 

The blue eyed woman turned around to catch her friend's reaction, it's safe to say that she was nothing less than impressed with herself. 

_She's just ..._

_Amazing._

Korra admired the way Asami took everything in. The taller woman's head whipped in every direction. She gazed the plants and flowers on the ground, the sun beaming through the trees, the dock and lake that were laid out ahead of her. 

"Korra." Asami had to take another slow spin around, trying to capture it all at once. "It's ... breathtaking. How- how do you even know about this place?" 

_Don't scratch your neck, don't scratch your neck._

"Opal may have helped me pick it out. I remember you talking about loving nature or whatever, some stuff like that. So I guess I wanted to give it a try with you." Korra rubbed the back of her neck, refusing eye contact with the engineer. "It was either this or some other place, but it was mostly uphill apparently so that was an immediate no." 

"Well, I love it." Asami walked closer to Korra, much closer. The blue eyed woman felt a large gulp in her throat, it ached her. Before she could say anything, she felt a light touch of lips-

On her cheek.

Asami kissed her cheek softly, smiled down at her friend, then walked past Korra and headed towards the dock. 

_Oh my god. I definitely impressed her._

"Honestly surprised you didn't bring me here to kill me." The engineer spoke out. 

Korra did her best to continue on with the conversation without stuttering or embarrassing herself. She also had to stop herself from brushing her hand over the part of her cheek where Asami's lips had been. Just thinking about it again made her body heat up.

_Calm down._

"Well, uh, don't speak so soon!" _What?_

"Are you going to help me bring these on to the dock, or just stand there?" Green eyes shared a lively grin. 

With that, Korra's soul found her body again as she carried herself over to Asami. She carried the picnic basket while the CEO had the wine in one hand, the blanket rolled up in her free arm. They walked on to the dock, looking down as the water got deeper and the creatures and plants went into disappearance. The women decided to set their stuff out towards the end of the dock, but not close enough so that if anything fell it would pollute the lake. Asami spread out the blanket, and Korra unloaded everything she packed in the basket. The food wasn't much obviously, just a few of their favorite snacks from the southerner's "special" closet, some fruit, and mini sandwiches.

They ate slowly as different topics of conversation flew by and they grew lost in each other's words, nothing out of the usual though. Asami finished another one of the mini sandwiches and laid down on her back, face looking up at the sky but with closed eyes. Korra turned to see her new position which gave her easy access to be able to just _stare_ at her.

_Fuck. Why am I staring?_

She tried to pull her eyes away from the heiress, but she couldn't. Asami's dark, wavy hair sprawled out on to the blanket. Her body was relaxed, hands neatly yet lazily folded on top of her stomach. The sun did justice for her flawless pale skin, making her pink lips stand out perfectly. Her naked eyelids fluttered against the bright rays. 

_Wait, she's not wearing makeup today._

"You're not wearing makeup today." Korra pointed out aloud rather than in her own mind. 

"You just noticed?" Asami replied playfully. 

"That's my bad then."

"It is."

A silence fell over them, a comfortable silence. They sat there, soaking up the sun, the sounds of nature around them, and each other. Korra decided to lay down like Asami, but instead turned her body so they were in opposite directions, but their heads were still next to each other. Asami looked to Korra with twinkling eyes and a small smile with her lips. Their faces were so close.

"How do you think your project turned out?" Asami began. "Has Varrick gotten back to you yet?"

"I'm honestly pretty nervous about the outcome. Varrick hasn't said anything yet, though, so I'm still waiting I guess." 

"I'm sure it'll be great. After all, you worked really hard on it." The business women thought back to the two weeks where Korra worked her ass off with no off days to make sure everything was perfect. Korra wouldn't admit it of course, but she was extremely thankful that Asami was there to keep her just the right amount of focused during it all. 

"Thanks." Korra breathed softly, sending Asami a smile. 

The green eyed woman lifted her upper body up a bit, propping herself up on her elbows. She looked out into the lake and the sky, the sun was beginning to set. 

"Korra, look." She whispered as if not wanting to disturb the painting above and in front of them. The southerner smiled once again and stood up completely and took off her shoes and socks. She didn't look back to Asami, just walked down the existing length of the dock and sat at the very edge having her legs hanging off. The heiress got the message after a moment, repeating Korra's actions to join her at the edge. 

They didn't say anything, and they didn't need to. They looked out at behind the mountains to the sky changing its blue color to warmer tones. The lake reflected the image beautifully. Asami and Korra kicked their legs slowly and let their toes draw ripples in the water. They laughed with each other quietly every few minutes.

Korra then noticed Asami lean back slightly on her hands like she was, one of her hands very briefly brushing over Korra's. She looked down at the pale fingers as they tapped on the wood gently. 

_What are you thinking?_

She wasn't thinking. In fact, she didn't want to think at that moment. She swallowed the same gulp that had made a repearrance in her throat and reached out. Korra moved her pinky finger to grasp with Asami's. The contact made her skin crawl with fortunately unnoticeable goosebumps. A blush creeped up on her again, but it was ignored. She knew what the blush meant, or she was pretty sure what it _could_ mean.

Korra was convinced that Asami would move her hand away, but that didn't happen. Instead, the heiress wrapped four fingers around Korra's, but didn't bother to look at her. The air grew thick. They were outside, but the air grew thick and dense. Korra wasn't sure about Asami, but she could feel her own breath scattering for a proper pattern that she couldn't find. 

They didn't speak, nor did they make eye contact. They sat there with interlocked fingers, staring at basically nothing now but anything but each other. 

Korra was about to say something after a while. Anything could have slipped out of her mouth, but then the warm fingers that held hers were suddenly gone. She quickly turned her head to her friend with furrowed brows. 

"I um, almost forgot. I actually have something for you!" Asami went back to their picnic set up, picked up an object and hurried back. She sat with criss - crossed legs and held a small box in her hands.

Korra huffed out an awkward laugh. "Whatcha got there, green eyes?"

"Don't worry, I'm not proposing to you. Mako already kind of warned me about that." 

"Wait what-"

"Anyways, I got thi-"

"No wait what did you sa-"

"As I was _trying_ to say," The CEO telepathically warned Korra to not interrupt her again. "I got this for you." She handed her friend the dark green box. Korra winced while opening the package, sticking her whole face in it with caution.

_Please don't be some expensive gift that I'll never be able to pay off._

It was though. Obviously, it was. The younger woman's breath hitched as the gift came into full view. A small, white marbled pearl bracelet sat in the center, surrounded by accessory fluff. There was a little gem in the center of the piece that gleamed the color of emerald. Korra looked closer to it. It wasn't her color, it was _her_ color. The color of her eyes. 

"How do you like it?"

"Like it? Are you kiddin-"

"Oh I knew it was too much." Asami scrunched up her legs and covered her face with her hands. "You don't even like jewelry. I should have just stuck with the wine holde-"

"No, Asami, I love it. Seriously, it's beautiful." She lightly grabbed the engineer's wrists so they would make eye contact. Her stomach twirled when she was met with those green eyes again. "Thank you but, what's it for?" 

"It's not really for anything I guess, just a gift to say thank you."

Korra raised her eyebrows while adjusting the bracelet on to her left wrist. "Did I do something?"

"You've been a really great friend to me, that's all."

"Oh well, you're welcome for being such a great friend then, green eyes. Hey and speaking of _green_ _eyes_ , is this little gem supposed to resemble anything?" She smirked, waiting for Asami to stutter at the accusation. 

"It's- it's for the uh, the nickname you gave me. I actually um, got us matching ones by the way." The CEO lifted her right wrist to show the exact same bracelet, but her gem was blue. 

_Asami Sato stuttering, my favorite thing._

Korra didn't know what else to say besides thank you, so she leaned in to pull the older woman into a tight hug. They both sat there, not moving or breaking away from one another's embrace. 

* * *

"YOU WENT ON A _DATE_?!"

"AND SHE _KISSED_ YOUR _CHEEK_?!" 

"Guys it's really n-" Korra tried to get out but was quickly stopped once again.

"AND YOU HELD HER _HAND_?!"

"SHE GAVEYOU A _BRACELET_?" 

"WITH HER _EYE_ _COLOR_?!"

Korra wasn't even sure how she got herself into this mess. Opal had invited her and Bolin over that Saturday night, and since Asami was busy she agreed to show up. Not that Asami was her first choice over her two best friends, but ... it was just different, no reason needed. The three were seated around Opal's coffee table in her living room.

She groaned, scraping her nails down her face dramatically to get her friends to stay silent. 

"First of all, why are you guys repeating everything I just said? Second of all, it was definitely _not_ a date. Third of all, I didn't hold her _hand_ we kind of like, brushed fingers for awhile?" She remembered the way her body jolted at the unfamiliar touch of Asami's lips and fingers. "Uh wait, what was I saying? Oh, and _fourth_ of all, none of that was a big deal." 

Bolin and Opal stayed quiet for a moment after the outburst. The second they turned their heads to look at each other though, their poorly hidden laughter was out. Bolin had tears poking out from his eyes, Opal holding her stomach due to the pain. 

"Are we serious right now? What are you, twelve?" Korra sat there, looking at them with an unbothered expression.

"Sorry!" Opal exclaimed. "It's not our fault you're such a mess."

"Excuse me?"

"No no, the woman's right. You, Korra, are the _definition_ of oblivious." 

"Why would you say that?" She reached over Bolin's arm to grab another slice of pizza from the box. 

"It's a little too clear that you have at least _some_ feelings for your new friend." 

She stopped chewing her slice immediately. "Asami?" She spoke with her mouth full and cheeks puffed. 

"You can chew." Opal dictated. Korra obliged and finished chewing and swallowing before continuing. 

"You guys think that I have feelings for _Asami_? Of _all_ people?" 

_There are no people, but still._

"Oh that's our bad then, we thought it was obvious." Korra wasn't the fondest of Bolin's sarcasm so she shot him a glare and poked her finger in his face.

"You don't know what you're talking about!" She screamed, causing him to slowly shift his body closer to Opal's and away from the crazy blue eyed woman. 

She sat back down in her seat calmly, reaching for yet another slice of pizza to eat.

_They don't know what they're talking about._


	10. chapter ten

The engineer was speaking with an employee out in the main room. They were discussing promotions since Asami saw that it was fit for them to have one, and she promised she would speak with Varrick about the idea. They continued talking when she turned her head a little to look at the door of a certain someone's office. 

She didn't even notice, but a small smile krept its way onto her face just at the thought of surprising the business woman. 

Asami faced back to the employee. "I'm so sorry to end this short, but I have to meet with someone else in a few minutes. I didn't even realize the time." 

"Oh it's no problem. It was amazing speaking with you, though, truly an honor." They gleamed, shaking Asami's hand rapidly. She grinned with her lips and quickly promised a talk with Varrick, then made her way over to the door she's been eyeing. 

She knocked on it twice, softly, waiting for a response. "Uh, come in!" Was bevelved a little too loudly from the other side. Asami opened the door swiftly, expecting to see her friend sitting at her desk working on something, but she wasn't there. The raven haired woman looked to her right to see Korra crouched down on the floor with a bunch of small objects surrounding her. 

She couldn't help by laugh quietly as she made sure to close the door behind her.

"Korra?" Asami spoke with a head tilt. Her voice seemed to grab the tan woman's attention instantly, but it also startled her for a moment. She looked up to the heiress with her big blue eyes twinkling.

_Her eyes are so pretty._

"Asami, hey! I didn't know it was you coming in."

"And if it was anyone else, how would you explain ... this?" Asami waved her hands around the general area of Korra on the floor with the figurines.

"Not sure." She scratched her cheek briefly. "Guess I was lucky it was you then."

"So, what exactly are you doing?" The green eyed woman decided to pull up one of the chairs that sat in front of Korra's desk. She moved it so she could sit next to her friend who was still scooping up the objects on the carpeted floor.

"My statue things fell." She answered with an faultless tone. 

Asami looked up to the wall where the shelves were, but instead of being mounted properly they were each hanging down by one nail. She noticed that one shelf was even on the floor. Asami raised an eyebrow at the flawed details.

"Along with the some of the shelves as well." Korra admitted, slightly embarrassed. 

"I can see that. How though?"

"Hey, I didn't do anything to cause this."

"That's the first." Asami joked, nudging the southerner on the shoulder with her knee. Korra looked up to her with an angry pout, of course.

"Hilarious." She snapped with a glare. "Anyways, they just came apart on their own. I guess I didn't mount them properly or something." 

"Want my help?"

Korra finally cleaned up the remaining figurines from the floor. She walked over to her desk to set them down for the meantime. "Why would _you_ want to fix _my_ stuff? Don't you have important uh, business to take care of?" 

"I'm an engineer, Korra." The CEO stood from her seat and picked up the shelf on the ground. "Putting things together is my strongest suit. I just need some tools, probably." 

"Well thanks then. Speaking of suits ..." Korra was silent for a moment, causing Asami to turn around to see what was up. She saw the younger woman staring at her up and down with a hand rested on her chin. The gaze made Asami's body heat up, she swear she could feel her knees momentarily buckle. 

_Why is she looking at me like that?_

_Can she please stop looking at me like that?_

What Asami wouldn't admit though, is that she kind of _liked_ the way Korra was so clearly admiring her. 

"Are you okay?" She ended up finally asking with furrowed brows and a wince.

Korra pointed to the heiress. "Yeah. Is this a new outfit?"

Asami grew more nervous by the millisecond, her cheeks flushing at the observation. She looked down to her clothes and began to fix them, even though there was nothing to fix. She tucked a stray lock of hair behind her ear and stuttered, "Uh, sort of. I um, I just got these pants and the blazer. Do you like it?"

"Of course I do. You look really-" The shorter woman seemed to stop herself from whatever she was about to say. She squinted her eyes then spread her hands out in the air. "Professional."

"That's good because that's my goal."

The friends shared a laugh as Asami quickly examined the shelf pieces, she knew the proper tools that were needed and told herself she would come back to fix them later in the week. Korra moved herself to sit down at her desk chair. The older business woman pulled up the chair she took and sat in front of Korra. 

Before Asami could speak, Korra started with a smirk, "So, why'd you come in here? Miss me?" 

"I- I- no." Her cheeks burnt pink. "I was just bored. I wanted to bother you but it seems you already had your hands full."

"You just love making jokes today." The blue eyed woman rummaged in one of her desk drawers to find a notepad. She began writing down a few reminders for herself. "But why were you bored? What were you doing? Meetings?" 

Asami grew a bit distracted by the mini statues of animals and world monuments. She moved in closer to be able to toy with and study them."I was talking to one of the employees here about them deserving a promotion."

Korra stuck her head up with a raised brow. "You've never talked to _me_ about deserving a promotion."

"If I ever discussed that type of thing with you, I wouldn't hear the end of it."

"Hear the end of what, specifically?" 

"Your cockiness." She answered bluntly and smiled. 

"You _adore_ my cockiness, green eyes." Korra finished the conversation off with a playful grin and continued to write on her notepad.

_It's true.  
_

The heiress looked up to her friend and let out a quiet sigh of frustration. But not frustration with Korra, frustration with herself. For what though? She had not the slightest idea. 

They both continued to sit there in the silence. Asami calmingly fidgeting with the statues while Korra worked, occasionally teasing each other though, until the engineer had to actually get back to her job. She was headed towards the door to leave when she felt something hit the back of her head. 

"Ow!" She cursed to the crumpled piece of paper on the floor. She whipped her head around and saw the southerner cracking herself up. "And what was that for?" 

"Just wanted to get your attention." Korra shrugged her off innocently. 

"I have to go, but what is it? Make it quick."

"You wanna come over tonight? I get off early at like three, and I have an off day tomorrow. We can just chill or something." 

Lately, everytime Asami was asked to go over to Korra's house, there was a small part of her that felt different. She could never put it into words. Excitement could be used, but it was something stronger. Whatever it was, overall the feeling was oddly _comforting_. Asami always caught her heart beating quicker at any and every invite that was thrown at her. She couldn't wait to answer yes, but then remembered an important thing that needed to be taken care of. 

"You know I'd love to but I have a few calls to take with some of Future Industries' partnerships."

"Are you kidding me?" Angry pout.

_Dear spirits, Korra._

"Don't be so sad."

"Of course I'm sad. I wanted to hang out tonight." Angry pout.

_Please stop it._

She placed a hand over her heart in sarcasm, but also trying to cover how fast it was beating for no reason. "How flattering, but you can ask Opal or Bolin to come over."

"I wanted to hang out with _you_ tonight. But I get it, you're busy." Korra rolled her eyes and flared her fingers in the air while returning to her desktop. "Sometimes I honestly forget that you're like this _insanely_ important CEO of this _huge_ company, and the heir to it." 

"Is that a good thing?" 

Korra was quiet for a second, then a faint smile cracked on the advertiser's face. "Yeah."

_She sees me as just ... Asami? Like **just** Asami?_

The green eyed woman beamed. "Actually, I'll see what I can do. My first call is at one thirty and if everything goes perfectly then I should be wrapped up around five or six then I can go over to your place."

"Wait, are you sure you won't be too tired, though?"

"I'll be fine, Korra."

Korra switched her attention from her computer screen to the raven haired woman that stood at her door. Asami's breath hitched immediately when the those blue eyes stared at her like that again. It's been happening more and more frequently. She's tried to read behind them, but it was simply impossible. Korra had walls up. 

That, or Asami was terrible at reading people's emotions.

It was soundless for awhile, but this time it was an uncomfortable quiet. The taller woman stirred in her place as they failed to break eye contact. Though she wasn't even sure she wanted to. Her stomach felt as if it was lifted out of her body. Asami blinked quickly and finally regained her self awareness. Korra however was still looking intently. 

"Um, okay I uh, I should probably- I should um-"

"You should probably get going?" She mocked. 

"Yeah that!"

_Embarrassing._

"Alright then. I'll hope to see you later." 

"I'll let you know." Once Asami closed the door behind her after her departure, she let out an exasperated sigh of relief. Letting out the air that was caught in her throat that she didn't even know was there. Korra was honestly talented in many ways, but her greatest skill was probably being able to make the older business woman so incredibly flustered with such ease. 

* * *

Asami let herself into Korra's bedroom to find the southerner hunched over on her bed. She was doing nothing but scrolling through her phone, but she hadn't noticed the new presence in the room yet. Asami used this to her advantage, and quite loudly slammed the door shut. This caused Korra's body to jolt as she looked up quickly to see where the noise came from. The green eyed woman let out a mischievous giggle. 

Korra did her famous angry pout. "You think you're funny?"

"I do, yes." A pleased look appeared on Asami's face. She made her way over to the bed and climbed on to it, positioning herself to sit up and lean her back against the large pillows. Korra turned her criss - crossed body around to face her again.

"You never told me how your calls went." She began. 

"Don't worry, nothing big happened. Just a bunch of middle aged, rich people talking about money and such. You don't want to hear about it."

"Well, I'm just glad you managed to come over tonight."

The business woman moved herself a final time to flop her body in between Asami's legs and wrapped her arms around her waist. Asami shifted her arms to lay on Korra's back, with one hand slowly stroking through her chopped hair. The placement wasn't foreign to them, so they both eased into each other. 

_Her hair is so soft.  
_

The engineer looked down at their settlement. She felt so comfortable, and just calm in general. Once again, her stomach twisted into unintelligible knots as her cheeks heated up with a faint blush. Being so close to Korra made her feel a sense of alleviation. The younger woman has always had this effect on Asami ever since their friendship began to grow. They dwelled in the silence of the bedroom, with Korra's soft breathing making the smallest amount of noise. It tickled the CEO's bare arm which made her shudder every now and then. Asami continued to create short, loose braids in the hair until a thought came up.

"You know your birthday is coming up, right?"

"How could I forget? You've been saying that for a month, and my birthday isn't even for another two weeks." Korra was mumbling but her words were still audible. 

"What do you think you'll do?"

"Uh, last year I just spent it with Bolin, Opal, and a couple other of my friends here actually. This year I was planning on going back home to see my parents, but they're traveling right now so that's off of the list. It sucks though cause I haven't seen them since the holidays."

Asami frowned for a moment at the faulted plans but mainly wanted to focus on the positive so Korra wouldn't be upset. "I like the idea of just hanging out at your place."

"Okay perfect then. Consider yourself the first one on my guest list!" Asami felt Korra's smile form when her cheeks moved. 

"I'd hope I am." One more thought came to mind. "And what do you want? Like as a present. You still haven't told me yet."

"You haven't asked." 

"Fair point, but I have been thinking about it." The heiress remembered studying Korra's office and apartment recently to try and find inspiration, but not much luck so far. "Seriously though, anything you have in mind?" 

"Sami," Another nickname. "I _really_ don't want you getting me anything."

She scrunched her face in confusion. "Why not? You're my best friend and it's your birthday."

"Wait, I'm your best friend?" The blue eyed woman looked up to Asami with a pleased expression. 

"Are you trying to make me nervous or something?" The engineer stirred for a moment to adjust a fallen strand of her own hair, breaking eye contact with the woman who laid on top of her. 

"Sorry it's easy, and hilarious. But you're my best friend too, green eyes."

_She seriously needs to stop looking at me like that._

It wasn't uncomfortable to her, just a bit strange. Asami wasn't used to having this kind of look that was meant for her. It was different than the way Mako, Kai or Wu looked at her. Different from the way any of her past lovers had looked at her, too. She couldn't tell what it was, and she didn't know why it made her feel so _delighted_ and _free_ either. The silence was almost becoming painful, so Asami figured that speaking up and continuing the conversation would change the ... tension that she had imagined. 

"Okay so, me getting you a birthday gift is a no because?" 

"You already gave me the matching bracelet." Korra jingled her piece of jewelry. "I really don't want more from you. I still haven't even repaid you yet."

"Repaid me?" The older woman asked. 

"I have yet to get you a gift."

"Korra, I don't need anything from you. And I am getting you a present, the bracelet was just a friendly gesture because I felt like it." 

_Friendly_. 

"Whatever you say, but I don't want a present." Korra resumed her previous position with laying her head on Asami's lap while the green eyed woman continued to think. 

Soon enough, Asami looked down again to notice that her friend had fallen asleep on top of her. She sighed to herself and smiled, admiring how peaceful and vulnerable Korra looked in this state. Asami moved a little - carefully to not wake up the shorter woman - so her back was flat on the bed now. She kept combing through the soft brown locks until she fell into a nap as well. 

* * *

Obviously, the request was gladly ignored by the heiress. Instead of spending the little free time she had with Korra, she used the opportunities to hunt for the perfect birthday present. She just didn't know how difficult it would be, though. Korra was not the most materialistic person at heart. Getting her that bracelet in the first place was a long shot, and Asami was still surprised with how well that went. 

She had even gone out of her way to contact Opal and Bolin to see what they were getting for Korra. Opal decided to get her a fresh new set of gym equipment, consisting of new weights and dumbells and other stuff Asami wasn't too familiar with. Bolin settled on a handful of gift cards to the business woman's favorite places; fast food places, clothing stores, shoe stores, and department stores. Though the gifts weren't much, they were still very thoughtful. There was no way Asami could compete with the two co workers, of course they knew Korra better than she does. They've been friends with her for years. 

The fact _bothered_ _her_ for some reason. 

However, there was _one_ _thing_ that the younger Sato remembered her friend talking about. It was a brief discussion, but she thought back to the way Korra spoke about it. She was so lively and passionate, which is exactly why it would be the perfect gift. Well, Asami could only _hope_ that it would be the perfect gift. 


	11. chapter eleven

She fluttered her eyes open as she finally woke up from her slumber, then she instantly recalled her surroundings. A soft hand was placed on the top of her head; she was still laying on top of Asami. Korra couldn't deny the butterflies in her stomach, along with the blush running from her neck to her cheeks. Asami's arm that wasn't busy through Korra's hair was hugging her waist. It was a normal position for the two, but it still made her heart jump at the thought. Korra decided to look up, and her blue eyes widened way too quickly at the sight.

_Oh fuck._

Asami was nothing less than beautiful. While awake, her facial features were mostly demanding and came off as intimidating, or occasionally nervous. Her asleep was a different story. She looked so calm and ... soft. Her pale skin looked so, so soft. The heiress's eyelids fluttered the same way they did when they laid on the dock at the lake. She looked like a painting.

_How does she look like this when she's literally sleeping?_

Korra then realized that she was staring at her friend _while_ she was literally sleeping, which was kind of disturbing so she stopped herself. The tan woman slowly made her way out of Asami's delicute grasp and crawled off of her bed.

The two had spent last night together at Korra's apartment. Asami went over at around five so they could binge watch movies and just hang out. They didn't realize the time at one point, and it was too late for Korra's liking for Asami to drive home by herself. She insisted on her staying over, and the green eyed woman accepted. This would be their second time falling asleep together, but their first time having a "sleepover." It was a good thing that they were so comfortable with each other. They didn't even bother to have the awkward argument over who will sleep on the bed or the couch or the floor or whatever. The women gladly cuddled up to each other like they always do during yet another movie, and it seems that was the one to knock them out.

Also, it was nearing Korra's birthday with it only being less than two days away now. The CEO had been teasing her presents, even though she said _numerous_ _times_ she didn't want anything. She was still pretty excited to see what Asami had gotten her, though.

Korra rubbed her eyes, still trying to adjust to the light in her bedroom, and scanned around to try and find her phone. She then spotted it on the edge of the bed, and her eyes went wide for the second time in the past three minutes when she turned it on.

It was two in the afternoon.

_WHAT TIME DID WE FALL ASLEEP???_

She walked over to her curtains and opened one up. It was bright daylight outside. The quiet street the business woman had fallen asleep to was now busy again. Without thinking, the younger woman began to shake Asami out of her nap. Well, maybe a little more than a nap.

"Asami!" Korra whisper screamed into the engineer's ear, only to receive a very low growl. "You should wake up."

After a few moments, Asami eventually began to shift and opened her eyes while blinking rapidly. They were now making eye contact, both of them realizing how close their faces were to each other. At that, Korra quickly jumped away and scratched her cheek, trying to look everywhere _but_ the woman in her bed.

"You're awake!" She cheered awkwardly.

"Yeah." The pale woman stretched shortly and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. She looked back up to Korra. "How long were we asleep?"

"I have no idea."

"What time is it?" Asami began to look around for her phone as well, but it didn't seem to even be in the room.

"It's uh, two pm."

Her green eyes practically left their sockets. " _Two_ _pm_?!" She stood up swiftly to look outside through Korra's windows, following her previous actions. "Shit!"

"Do you have stuff to do today?"

"Not really but I have to call a few people and have a certain meeting at four." Asami sped walk away from the windows "But thankfully we woke up now instead of later."

"Oh. So you have to go?" Korra's face dropped for a split second, but she caught herself and changed her expression quickly before the CEO could notice.

"Yeah, I'm sorry but these things are really important."

Korra understood. It was still kind of funny to her how Asami was such a big person in the business world. She had things like this all of the time, but it all just seemed irrelevant to Korra.

She left her room to let Asami get dressed into her own clothes from last night since she wore articles of Korra's clothing to sleep in. Once she was finished, Korra offered to make her a quick breakfast but the heiress truly had to go. She walked her out of her apartment and outside, across the street to the dark red car.

Before the advertiser could speak, Asami took away her opportunity. "We are _never_ staying up that late again, by the way."

"Noted but ignored."

She laughed at the comment. "I'll see you tomorrow, though. Can you be at my place at seven?"

"In the morning?" A raised brow and limp shoulders.

"No not in the morning, in the evening." The taller woman mocked with a head sway. "And dress casual but also _nice_." Korra only huffed to pretend like she was bothered.

"Fine. But for what?"

"Your birthday is in two days." She opened the driver's door and began to climb in.

Korra ducked down to now be at Asami's level, resting her arm and head against the hood of the car. "And that's relevant because?"

"I'm taking you out the night before. I also have a few surprises for you but that's for the day of." Asami perked with gleaming eyes.

"Of course you do. I'll be there, then."

"Of course you will. Seven o'clock, Korra." Finishing off with a promising smirk, the engineer closed her door and Korra backed away. The car started and sped down the road, leaving Korra to stare at it until the vehicle was out of her sight.  
  
  


* * *

Obviously, the blue eyed woman did exactly as she was told. She showered and cleaned herself up a bit around five thirty, which is way earlier than she would usually get ready for a night out. She wanted to look good though, for no particular reason. She even attempted using the little amount of makeup her mother had sent her long ago.

It didn't go that well. At all.

Korra wasn't exactly sure what Asami meant by "dress casual but also nice" so she had to pretty much wing her outfit choices. After pacing around her room for thirty minutes in only a towel, she finally settled on something, even though the outfit was of her usual. It consisted of another one of her loose button downs tucked into black jeans. She also left three of the top buttons open, for no particular reason. Korra was mostly ready to call a cab and head to Asami's, but when she looked in her mirror she felt something was off. Her hair looked ... bland. She began to fiddle with the strands with furrowed eyebrows.

_Should I tie it up?_

_No I should leave it down._

_Asami once said that she liked my hair up, though._

_But where are we even going? Do I need to have it up?_

_No I'll leave it down and bring a hair tie just in case I change my mind._

_Okay, perfect._

She was ready, ish, but ready enough that is. The tan woman called for a cab, and they arrived ten minutes later. She climbed into the car and told them Asami's address. Once that was clear and they began driving, she pulled out her phone to text her friend, but saw other notifications on the screen.

**_ we don't work for varrick _ **

**opal - WHERE DO U THINK SHES TAKING OYU ???????**

**opal - YOU NEED TO ANSWER**

**opal - KORRA WHERE IS SHE TAKING YOU**

**opal - bolin where did u think she's taking her**

**bolin - Who's taking Korra?**

**opal - ugh. asami is taking korra out tonight for a surprise thing**

**opal - shes probably going to take her to a hotel and get them a huge private suite so they can finally make love to each other :) so cute**

**bolin - WHAT**

Korra's entire body was immediately set on fire as she read the message from her loud mouthed friend. She didn't even know how to respond, so she just didn't. Dealing with Opal's _insanely_ _unnecessary_ accusations right now was not on her list for the night. Ignoring her co workers, she went into her chat with Asami. Korra let the engineer know that she would be arriving at her place in about twenty minutes, and Asami replied excitedly.

The cab pulled up to the complex, and Korra paid them her due then entered the lobby. She spoke to the doorman briefly, who she was familiar with, and he told her to head up to the penthouse.

She'd only been to the older woman's apartment a small number of times since it was out of the way, but everytime she went over she was still blown away by its ... everything. She stepped out of the elevator and walked through Asami's foyer room into the main living room. Korra then suddenly felt a bundle of nerves building up in her stomach, but she put them aside.

"Asami?!" She yelled into the spacious room, causing an echo but no response. "Uh, Hello?"

A few seconds more, she heard her name being called. Korra could tell exactly where it was coming from, so she went up the stairs and easily found her way to Asami's quite large bedroom. Her eyes instantly fell on the moving figure that sat at a long vanity. She smiled to herself softly, then the figure turned around to face her.

God her _face_ was just _amazing_. Admiring Asami was something Korra did quite often, sometimes she noticed herself doing it and sometimes she didn't. As of now, she didn't. She had almost completely lost herself due to the heiress's beauty. Asami stood from her seat, allowing the southerner to get a full view of her outfit. It wasn't a lot at first glance; just a plain, dark red dress with black boots. However, the red dress had an open back, a slit in the front with allowed a friendly amount of cleavage, and the boots she wore were tight and knee high.

_Oh. Fuck._

"I can see you dressed up." She didn't, but the compliment was flattering. "You have no idea how good you look." Her voice was so soothing.

" _ME_?!" On the other hand, Korra's voice was hoarse and her throat felt dry. "B-but look at yourself! You ... you look incredible."

_I actually just said that._

To anyone else, Asami's obvious tense body language and bright red cheeks and ears could be spotted from miles away. But this was Korra, who didn't have a single clue.

"Thank you." She managed to get out without stuttering. The business women stared at each other for longer than either of them had anticipated. Korra scratched her cheek and looked away, the strangely awkward tension in the air was killing her.

"So, where are we going? Anywhere I haven't been before?" She started.

"I said the surprises were for the day of your birthday, which will all be unwrapped tomorrow. For tonight, we're simply going to a club." Asami picked up her pocket book and small coat, and they left her bedroom to leave her complex.

"A club?" Korra questioned while speed walking behind the taller woman. "Why couldn't you just tell me that yesterday? I didn't know what to wear!"

"Because it's funny to have you worry about nothing."  
  


* * *

The bouncer asked for their ID cards, and once everything was confirmed they were let in. The club was lit with a number of colored lights along with flashing strobe lights. It was alive with all different kinds of people. There were the blacked out, the dancing, the ones screaming song lyrics from the top of their lungs, the ones who showed up alone, the creepy guys, the friend groups and the couples. Asami reached down to grab Korra's hand and pull the two of them through the crowd. She jolted slightly.

_Her hands are so smooth._

They found themselves an empty space at a large couch and sat down. The music was blaring into their ears, so they sat close to each other so they could speak and listen clearly.

"Are you gonna drink?" Asami asked.

"I mean, probably. This is my pre birthday celebration, isn't it?"

"What are you getting? The usual?" Korra nodded. "Okay, come with me to the bar. It's impossible to get any _real_ service at this place, trust me."

Before they knew it, the two friend were down by three shots each of the Spiked Jasmine. It wasn't the strongest drink, but it was enough to make both of them borderline drunk. One or two more and they'd cross the line. Thankfully Asami had seen this coming before the night began, so she had her chauffeur take them to the club, and she would be picking them up as well.

Currently, they somehow detected their way back to their seats on the couch, and they were all over each other.

Not in that way.

They laughed at every single thing that the other said, their bodies lazily falling around. Their stomachs started to hurt, but a good kind of hurt. At one point, Asami was laughing so hard her she had to lean back into the back of the couch, her head tilted over the edge with her arms hugging herself. It was a little hard for Korra to process her surroundings properly, but it came awfully easy for her to focus on the green eyed woman who sat so close to her.

"You are _so_ _pretty_ when you laugh!" A slurred but loud compliment slipped from her mouth, and it honestly shocked her.

Asami's eyes stayed squinted, then she leaned in closer to Korra with a wide smile. "You too!" She screamed into her face which made both of them crack up once again. "Can you dance with me?"

"You know how you've never seen me dance?" Asami hummed. "There's a reason behind that!"

"I'm sure you're an _amazing_ dancer! Please dance with me, Korra!" She clasped her hands together in a pleading motion. "Please!"

How was she supposed to say no? Or in other words, did she even _want_ to say no?

Asami didn't need an answer by the way Korra quit talking. The younger Sato took the tan woman's hand for the second time that night and led them to the packed floor. They slipping through the intoxicated people until an open spot was found. The two hopped to the songs that played, laughing and enjoying each other's' presence greatly.

The way Asami moved ... it was angelic. She was so carefree. Her well kempt raven hair flying all around her face, then somehow falling back perfectly down her exposed back.

"I did say you would be an amazing dancer!" She shouted the the brunette woman, breaking yet another one of the trances she was put under.

* * *

Time went on, as well as different types of songs. Their dances suddenly grew less friendly, and more intimate. For the first time, it was something that neither of them were too familiar with, but it felt comfortable nonetheless. Neither of them dared to have second thoughts. They knew if that dwelled on anything, it would all go away. And truthfully, they didn't _want_ this to go away. The friends continued to move their bodies closer and closer to each other at each beat of the inaudible songs. Asami decided to place her hands on Korra's waist, pulling her in until the separation between them was basically nothing.

_Fuck fuck fuck._

At this action, their faces had now fully changed into something more serious.

Korra's blue eyes glowed brightly as they filled with lust and ... interest? Asami's face was so close to her. Asami's _body_ was so close to her. Asami's _hands_ were gripping her waist even tighter while they swayed to the music. Their eyes locked for a final time, and it stayed that way. The connection that they didn't even notice they were forming was stronger than anything they have experienced. Korra, at last, moved her hands from her sides and cupped them around the back of the older woman's neck. This brought them to the limit.

Their bodies were now brushing against each other, grinding roughly but also soft and tentative. They both were in need of something. The shorter woman could feel the CEO's warm, heavy breath blowing down on her lips.

_Lips._

Her lips were shining in the light; the effect of the lipgloss and lipstick she had applied earlier. They were a beautiful shade of pink. The bottom lip was a bit more plump than the top. The two were parted but only slightly. Asami's lips were so _perfect_.

Korra wanted to taste them.

She removed her focus from the lips back to the green eyes, which also flickered up back to hers a few seconds later.

"You're beautiful." Asami breathed out in a husky tone. The words and the voice made Korra melt, her legs went limp and numb as soon as she was able to process them.

The advertiser didn't have the slightest idea of how to respond. She wanted to say a million things though nothing good enough seemed to come to mind.

Looking back down to the lips, she knew it was right. It was all so clear to her now. Korra knew right then and there realized that she hadn't been trying to simply impress the heiress, it was never about that. Korra wanted to get Asami to _fall_ for her, the same way that she was falling for Asami. The realization alone made her heart and veins pump faster and a gland of sweat was forming on her back.

_No second thoughts. If I think twice, this all goes away._

She lifted herself with her toes and slowly, hesitantly, leaned in. Asami immediately stopped their "dancing" when she saw what was happening. Their lips were no more than a few short centimeters away.

Korra could feel Asami's heart beat now as her chest raised with each breath, and she loved it. Just when they were finally about to make contact, when Korra would _finally_ be able to fulfill something she's dreamed about for so long but pushed to the side, she felt the warm fingers on her waist drift away. She pulled back and opened her eyes. Asami's face was no longer soft; the pale woman was scared. The southerner sobered up right away.

"A- Asami-" Korra could barely speak.

"Stop, Korra. Just," She pressed her hands on Korra's chest and gently pushed her away, making sure they didn't make eye contact. "Sorry."

And with that, Asami _left_ _her_ , walking away and disappearing in to the crowd within seconds before Korra could do or say or think anything else.


	12. chapter twelve

She couldn't kiss her. If she kissed her, it would have made everything too real. It only would have confused her even more, and that's the exact opposite of what she wanted. Things were going so well for her, for her _and_ Korra. Their friendship was beyond describable and they've only really known each other for about four months. What they had was something that Asami couldn't ever even _want_ to imagine losing.

The heiress didn't want to walk away and leave her friend all alone at a club the night before her birthday, but it didn't seem like she had many other options. What could she have done? Kissed Korra and made her think they were going to get into some kind of ... relationship? 

_Why did she even try to kiss me?_

_Does she actually see me that way?_

_We were both kind of tipsy, though. That stuff happens all the time._

She tried to lie to herself, or push away the thought to the very back of her mind, but it kept coming back nearly every other minute. There was a small part of her that actually _wanted_ Korra to kiss her. The idea of tasting the tan woman's lips had become way too apparent. Korra looked so beautiful while they were dancing together. Asami thought back on the way their bodies moved in such sync, it was mesmerizing and addicting. It felt _so_ _good_. She couldn't help herself but to pull Korra closer to her. The way the shorter woman's eyes never broke contact with her. The way her breath hitched at moments and was let out heavily on to Asami's chest or neck gave her skin, hopefully unnoticeable, goosebumps. The engineer wanted to stare and admire Korra for as long as she would let her.

But then, she began to lean in, and that all stopped. It had to.

When Asami walked away, she wasn't all too sure where exactly to go. Of course she wouldn't fully leave Korra at the club, so she found a smaller bar off to the side to sit at. There were only three empty stools, and two of them were out of view of the dance floor. With that, she took her place at the last one on the end. 

_I still should be able to spot her easily ... if I need to._

The bartender came up to the raven haired woman and asked if she was in need of a drink. Asami decided on a virgin beverage since her previous intoxication had mostly died down completely. The bartender whipped up her drink rather quickly, sliding it down the glass surface into the palm of the pale woman's hand. She took a few sips and turned around in her stool to look back at the dance floor. From where she was, she couldn't really see Korra. There were way too many people in the area. 

_What's she doing right now?_

_Is she looking for me?_

_Is she upset with me? Is she angry? Is she hurt?_

_Is she okay? Is she with anyone?_

Hundreds of negative thoughts swarmed her head, and it made her groan in frustration while pressing on her temples slightly. The loud music didn't help.

_This is so messed up._

Asami sat there by herself, slowly sipping on her drink. It seemed as if an hour had passed since she got to the mini bar, and not a sign of Korra. This made her even more worried as to where her friend could be. If Korra was looking for her, she would have found her already. So that means she wasn't.

_I am such an idiot._

_Who leaves their friend at a club all alone?_

_AND IT'S HER BIRTHDAY IN A FEW HOURS!_

_I am officially the worst friend in the world._

She was about to leave her seat, when her eyes landed on something all by themselves. Her face dropped when the southerner finally made an appearance through the crowd. 

Korra _was_ _with_ _someone_. They were dancing, dancing _together_ , dancing with each other. Their bodies were so close. It made Asami's stomach feel awful as her hands clenched. She was with a woman, a pale woman, who was was quite tall and lengthy.

_Who is that?_

Asami stood up and tried her best to not be seen by her friend. She moved behind other occupants, but still kept her eye on Korra and the other woman. She found herself at the large, main bar in the center of the club, right next to the dance floor. There weren't any open stools, but she didn't mind. She leaned on on a side of the bar that was closest to Korra but still out of her view. From there, she could see the full picture. 

The pale woman had long, dark hair just like the younger Sato. It was held back into a loose braid with strands falling out around her face. All Asami could think about was whether or not Korra's fingers had run through those locks, if that was the reason they were so messy. Her facial features were sharp, with high and defined cheekbones. Her clothing was on the baggy side, but you could still tell that her body was amazing. The woman was absolutely stunning.

And the engineer hated it. She hated everything about it. She hated the pale woman.

Korra's dance partner moved her hands up and down her sides, gracefully grazing her body. Asami could tell it made Korra melt as she fell into the touch, and that thought made her want to just _throw_ _something_. She had never cared about anything like this so much. Before she never minded enough to pay attention to what others did, but there was something inside of Asami that couldn't bare to watch this.

_Why does it even matter? Why do I even bother?  
_

She knew this was all wrong; her basically stalking Korra from the shadows like a creep. Whatever made her stomach and heart and _head_ hurt was pointless anyways. It didn't matter, and she shouldn't bother. The raven haired woman set her empty glass down on the bar's top and sighed, still staring at the cup.

_This is pathetic._

_Korra can obviously dance with whoever she wants._

_Just happy she's actually having a good time after I left her like that._

Asami tried to convince herself that everything was fine to her even though it wasn't, but it was out of her control. This was all her fault, anyways. She finally looked up from the glass, and her limbs went numb. She came in contact with the blue eyes. They weren't as bright as they were earlier in the night, they were darker and it was noticeable. The CEO had no idea what to do. Sweat was forming on her back and palms as the two friends held their gaze securely. 

For some reason, she thought Korra would stop dancing and maybe even walk over to her so they could talk. But that's not what happened. The blue eyed woman continued to get felt up by her dance partner, _allowing_ the tall woman to lean down and leave kisses on her neck. All of this while they didn't look away from the other. It was sickening.

Asami's entire body felt like it was just absorbed fully in flames.

Korra's eyes rolled into her head for a second as she leaned into the woman's body, but she made sure to look right back at the specific green eyes when she overcame that feeling. 

_Stop._

Korra didn't stop. They kept going, making the heiress angrier than she had ever felt. Jealousy. She was actually _jealous_. She'd never experienced jealousy before, and for _Korra_? It was odd and unusual. The business women didn't break their stare, though Asami wanted to, she couldn't bring herself to leave them so unattended. She then noticed that her throat was incredibly dry.

_I should just go. She's clearly fine without me._

She knew she really shouldn't, but she did. The lean woman at last turned away from the intimate pair, snatched up her pocket book and head for the exit door. She had to push her way through a handful of other people and a group of creepy men who ogled at her. She scrunched up her face in disgust, then kept moving forward until the door was only a few feet away.

"Asami!"

_Shit, of course she saw me leave._

She kept walking, faster this time.

"Asami! Where are you going?!" Soon enough, the shorter woman was trailing right behind her. "Hello?! _I_ _said_ , where are you going?!"

"Home." She clenched her fist and pocket book tighter. 

"Why? Did you forget that you're also my ride?" 

"I'm sure you would find a way to get _somewhere_ anyways, Korra." The way she said her friend's name made her feel different; it wasn't right.

"What the hell does that mean?" The younger woman huffed, catching up so they were now side by side. "What's going on with you? Why are _you_ so pissed?"

"I'm not."

"Yes you are."

_She's so fucking stubborn and she has no idea how infuriating it is._

"Why are you out here?" Asami questioned while making a turn down a corner, pulling out her phone to alert her chauffeur. 

"Because I saw you leaving." Her voice was clearly filled with concern, and it made the CEO feel guilty. 

"Aren't you busy with that girl?!" However, she stood her ground.

"What? Why are you bringing up Kuvira?"

"Oh, well my apologies if I'm offending you and your dance partner." 

"We're _old_ _friends_ , Asami! I know her through Opal." Korra grabbed Asami's wrist to get her to turn around and stop walking. Their colored eyes were shaking in agony. 

"Please, the entire club saw the way she was she was sucking on your neck."

"We got a little carried away, so what? Does that _bother_ _you_ or something?"

Of course it bothered her.

"Of course it doesn't _bother_ _me_." Is what she spat out instead. "Why did you even have to _look_ at me while doing that? Did you want to make me mad? Did you want some reaction?"

"I- I don't know and ... no." Korra let go of her wrist and began to fiddle with her fingers while she looked down to the paved sidewalk. A tense silence grew between them until Asami closed her eyes for a long moment and sighed.

"I'm going home, Korra." The pale woman turned back around to continue walking, walking away from the southerner as she put her phone back into her pocketbook.

"But why?" It was easy for Korra to catch up with her again, this time standing in front of her to block her path. "How about you stop being an _asshole_ and actually talk to me?!"

"I don't have anything to talk about!"

"Then why are you storming off like this? Did something happen in there? Did someone try to do anything or ... touch you? Because I _swear_ if anyo-"

"No. Nothing happened to me."

_Your eyes were locked on me the entire time, you know I'm fine._

"Something had to have went down for you to just try and _leave_ _me_ _here_!For you to try and leave me _again_!" There was an ounce of hatred behind her words, it was clear to tell.

Asami physically felt her heart stop at the harsh memory. _She_ was the guilty one here, not Korra. Her trying to turn this on her friend was wrong, but she honestly didn't know what else to do. She was upset over nothing, she had no right to be.

"I wasn't- I didn't mean to leave you." The CEO spoke out in a low, raspy tone. There were tears fighting her, the last thing Asami wanted was to fight with Korra. She could tell the tan woman's angry eyes had softened at the change of tone.

"Asami, I'm ..." She took a deep breath and placed a hand on the back of her neck. "I'm sorry that I tried to kiss you. I- I just thought- I wasn't in the right state of mind, with the alcohol and everything. If that's the reason you're so upset then you can go home, if you really want to."

_Oh, Korra._

"That's not the reason." The embarrassment of getting mad over nothing bubbled inside of her, but she knew lying to Korra wouldn't do any good either. She sucked up her pride and continued, "I guess I just didn't really fully enjoy seeing you dancing with that other girl Kuvira. And I didn't really fully enjoy seeing her feel you up like that. It's stupid you can do whatever you want obviously, but still I di-"

"Why not?" The younger woman stopped her in the middle of her tangent with a hopeful expression and furrowed brows.

"I'm sorry?"

"Why didn't you like Kuvira and I together? _Did_ it make you mad?" 

Korra stepped closer to the CEO. It made her throat dry for the tenth time that night so far. The tan woman looked down at her hands and made a slow attempt to grab them. Asami let her. When their fingers were firmly intertwined, she felt ... safe. It was the same feeling when their their fingers first wrapped together at the dock that one day. Only this time, the feeling was stronger. It was trying its best to come out, but Asami didn't understand it just yet.

"I won't do anything unless you say so, Asami." The act of consent in the low whisper almost made the heiress crumble.

_Do I even want this?_

_I don't._

_I do._

_But what comes next? What happens after?_

Asami wasn't sure of anything at the moment. All she could bring herself to focus on was Korra standing right in front of her, so close to her. How their hands fit far _too_ _well_ together. It made her nervous and scared, but as of now ... she didn't care. She looked into the blue eyes below her that called in a pleading manner, and finally managed to croak something out.

"Korra?"

"Yeah?"

She licked her lips briefly in thought, flickering her eyes to the advertiser's lips. "Kiss me."

The tan woman didn't waste another second. She untagled her hands from Asami's, gripped the sides of her face, leaned up in need and locked their lips. A strong surge of electricity transmitted between the two in an instant. The feeling of Korra's lips on hers made Asami feel like she was _falling_. The sensation was too much to handle, yet it was barely anything. It was too much but not enough. The heiress loved it, and never wanted it to stop. With great pleasure, she gripped on to the shorter woman's shirt and pulled her so their bodies touched, just like when they were dancing. The heat between them was surreal, it thickened the air surrounding them. 

_Spirits they're so soft._

_She tastes so good._

_She's so gentle. She's so warm_

Asami dipped her head into the kiss, making it deeper as she let out a sigh. Everything was perfect. However, reluctantly, Asami had to pull away for some air. She looked down at Korra whose eyes were still closed after they lost contact. The southerner looked like she was lost in another world. Asami was familiar with the feeling. The blue eyes finally opened and they twinkled brightly, following with a wide, crooked grin displayed.

"Wow." Korra breathed. Their faces were still only centimeters apart. Their chests were rising in sync with each other. 

"Yeah."

"Can we do that again?" The tan woman continued to smile eagerly, like a child.

Asami nodded her head with a short laugh. "Yeah."

This time, the engineer was the one to quickly brush their lips together again. Korra's were soft and puffy. She was in pure bliss, everything about it was heavenly. Just as great and maybe even more amazing than the first kiss moments before. Korra moved her hands from Asami's cheeks up to the back of her neck, which was in a blaze of heat. Asami loved what she was having, but she wanted more. With that thought, the taller woman flipped them around and pushed Korra into the brick wall behind them. In response, she earned a low pitched moan from the woman pressed up against her. It caught her off guard but also started a fire in the pit of her stomach. The vibrations of Korra's sounds of pleasure was intoxicating, it made her shudder underneath her skin.

Asami gently licked the bottom of the brown lips, asking for permission. The advertiser opened her mouth immediately and their tongues finally met. Asami felt weak due to the new amount of contact, she just couldn't believe this was happening. It was something she never really expected, but a small part of her always did. They stayed like this for a while longer until Korra disconnected their lips. The raven haired woman mentally groaned at the loss of feeling.

"Wow." Asami breathed out this time. 

"Yeah."

They still held on to each other tightly, fearing that if they let go they'd have to return to reality. Unfortunately, they did. The pale woman's phone buzzed and rang in her pocketbook. She cursed to herself, knowing their ride had arrived.

"Our ride is here." 

"Oh, okay." 

Breaking eye contact seemed to be a challenge for them, as if both women still had so much to say and do. But a sato mobile pulled up from around the corner. The headlights interrupted their stare, along with a honk. They let go of their grasps and headed for the car with their heads down.

Korra and Asami settled into the backseat after the chauffeur had opened the doors for them. It was silent during the drive. A bunch of different feelings flew throughout the air; tension, awkwardness, lust, confusion, fear. Asami's mind was in a million different places as she looked out the window at the passing city. Loads of people still packed the streets, the lights were still blaring and so were the sounds. 

Suddenly, she felt a touch on her hand. She turned to look at the cause, and it was Korra's hands gently trying to hold hers. Asami didn't like this, or at least she think she didn't. It was terrifying and fast and looked like a message for something more. Her face must have spilled her throats, because Korra quickly drew back her hand and placed it in her own lap. Asami could tell it made the business woman sad, but it was just a lot for her.

Now _everything_ is confusing. 

The sato mobile slowed down once it reached Korra's street, and came to a stop right in front of her apartment. The two ... friends got out and walked up the opening stairs in silence. Once they reached the door, Korra turned to the green eyed woman next to her.

_What do I say? What am I supposed to say?_

_That entire car ride was so awkward. Maybe it was wrong, or a mistake. Maybe we should have nev-_

"Um, thank you for taking me out tonight, Asami." A hushed, tired voice made her train of thought completely vanish. "I honestly had a great time."

Her words were caught in her throat for a second. "Uh, yeah me too."

They stared at each other as the wind blew calmly. Korra looked beautiful with the wind flowing through her chopped hair. It made the engineer speechless once again. She then pulled out her phone and checked the time; 12:03. She smiled to herself, and the tan woman looked at her with confusion. Before Korra could speak, Asami wrapped her arms around her neck and pulled her into a tight hug. It made the the brunette tense up at first, but then she gladly eased into the embrace, squeezing around Asami's waist with her muscular arms.

_God she's so warm._

"Happy birthday, Korra." The raven haired woman whispered into her ear with a pleased grin.


	13. chapter thirteen

Though it was only a couple of hours later, they still hadn't spoken about the kiss. Or anything much from the previous night. It drove Korra crazy. She stayed up for most of the night once she got back into her apartment, only thinking about the events that went down at the club.

Her and Asami dancing. Her trying to kiss Asami. Asami leaving. Her finding an old friend and dancing with her. Her practically _using_ Kuvira to make Asami jealous. Asami trying to leave her stranded at the club. Their fight. And their kiss.

Their lips making contact rattled in the southerner's mind, mocking her that it wasn't still going on. She could feel Asami's lips ghosting over hers even so many hours later. They were hot and smooth. The memory of their tongues meeting lit large fires inside of her body. The heiress tasted of nothing she had ever had before, or nothing she could ever imagine. Korra found herself missing the unfamiliar yet addicting flavor. There was true passion behind their kiss, it wasn't simply a spur of the moment act; it meant something. When Asami leaned back in for a second go, Korra's 

The blue eyed woman mainly stayed up for so long into the night because she was waiting for something, _anything_ really. She assumed that her friend would want to speak to her about everything that went down. However, the only messages she received were _'just got home'_ and a reminder to be dressed and ready for her birthday surprises at eleven am. She sighed as she continued to stare at the few messages that didn't relate to anything she hoped. Once Korra realized that the conversation she longed for wasn't going to happen that night, she forced herself to at least try to fall asleep.

However, the feeling of Asami's fingers burning and digging marks into her waist kept reappearing every time she began to drift off, following with anxious thoughts flowing about her mind. They all made her heart clench. 

_Was it a mistake? Does she regret it? Am I looking to into it?_

_Does she ... hate me now?_

_No. She can't hate me. I wouldn't be able to live with myself if she did._

These same concepts, along with many more that were similar, followed Korra into the morning. The first thing she thought about when she woke up and came to was whether or not things would be awkward with Asami for the day, or forever. She wasn't sure if she could handle their relationship changing ... in a bad way, that is.

**ill be at your place in 20 min. be ready we have places to be!**

The text sent a surge of nerves throughout the tan woman's body. It so much as made her stomach twist and palms sweat. She tried to remind herself that everything would be fine, that everything _was_ fine between them. Korra was already dressed. She'd been ready for the past two hours, and has been up for the past four hours, thus giving her a total of three to four hours of sleep. It was nothing unusual for her, but this time she was up worrying about her best friend rather than binging shows. 

She impatiently ran her pointer finger along her bay window table while waiting for Asami to arrive. She was still quite - insanely - nervous for the day, but tried her best to ignore the feeling. It would only ruin things.

**come outside!**

Korra's heart jumped when the message showed up on her phone. She didn't waste another second before getting to the engineer as fast as she could. Besides her slightly uneasy feeling, it was impossible to deny how truly excited she was to see Asami. It's always been like that for her. The advertiser left her apartment in a rush, possibly tripping over air once or twice, and finally made it outside. Across the street was none other than the pale woman waiting in a hoodless, black car. Korra caught herself smiling just by the far sight. She crossed the road quickly which caught her friend's attention. Her blue eyes met again with the bright green, and she nearly crumbled on the spot.

Asami's hair was put up into a loose, high ponytail; Korra loved when her hair was up. She had settled with a natural look for the day. Her makeup was only a faint layer of lip gloss, light brown eyeshadow and a small trace of eyeliner. She wore a flimsy, maroon shirt with gray joggers and sneakers. Korra had seen the heiress in casual clothing a number of times, but it still managed to catch her off guard at first glance. Nonetheless, Asami looked beautiful. 

_She's so pretty._

Korra didn't realize of course, but there was a wide, stupid grin plastered on her face. She didn't snap out of the trance until someone else had to speak up.

"Korra!" The CEO quickly got out the driver's seat and ran into the shorter woman's body, engulfing her in a _very_ tight hug. The action made Korra's neck and cheeks heat up instantly as she was brought into the comforting warm embrace once again. She wrapped her arms around Asami's waist and dug her face into the raven hair. 

_Guess she doesn't hate me, then._

"Uh, hey!"

Asami pulled away from the hug, but still kept her hands placed on the younger woman's shoulders. "Happy birthday!"

Korra let out a low, noticeably awkward laugh. "You already said that today, at exactly midnight, actually."

"So? You'll be hearing it all day, anyways." Her tone of voice, the way she moved, it was all the same. She broke away from their grasp and went back to her car. "Now get in, we really do have places to be." Korra obliged and climbed into the passenger seat. Asami started the mobile and they headed into the early morning, busy city streets. 

"Can I know where we're going first at least?"

"A cafe, for breakfast." 

"My first surprise is breakfast?" She scrunched her face in confusion.

"There's a bit more to it than just that, but yes. I promise you'll love it." An assuring while with gleaming eyes were shot her way, which made Korra's heart skip. The green eyed woman knew her too well, of course whatever she had in store for her would be nothing less than amazing. 

"I'm sure I will."

The car ride was mostly silent, but not the awkward silence that was expected. There was clearly an elephant in the room that desperately needed to be discussed, but it seemed like Asami wasn't up for it yet, so Korra did her best to keep her mouth shut. Besides that, nothing had changed between them. It was as if last night's events didn't happen at all. Korra wasn't sure if that was a good thing or a bad thing. However, it did make her a little bit upset. 

* * *

When they pulled up to the breakfast place, Korra's body nearly shot out of her seat entirely. "Holy _shit_!"

"How do we like so far?"

"Like? _Are_ _you_ _kidding_? How did you even know about this place?"

The cafe was apart of a small chain business that originated in the south, where she was from. She used to adore their food when she was younger, and would eat there often with her friends. The rest of the word didn't have many of them, but the tan woman didn't remember ever mentioning it to Asami.

"Connections, I guess." The engineer answered smugly. 

"Was this the extra part of the breakfast surprise?"

"Sort of, but there's still more to it."

Korra's eyes went droopy in admiration as she looked over to the pale woman, then mentally took a deep breath. "You are _incredible_ , green eyes." 

_She really is._

The two women left the vehicle once it was parked and made their way into the cafe. Korra was mesmerized by the inside's decorations and layout. It wasn't exactly like the ones back in the south obviously, but it still had many similar features, along with Republic City additions to it. Asami made sure to greet the workers they passed while Korra was busy gushing like a child at her surroundings.

"You have _no_ _idea_ how much I love this place!" She whisper screamed to the taller woman, which earned her a soft giggle in response.

"I may have _some_ idea." 

The cafe was large, so the heiress lead them towards the back area. They walked past many other occupants enjoying their early morning meal. Korra's stomach quietly grumbled at the food on the tables, she couldn't wait to get a look at the menu. Once they made it to the back, her eyes went wide for a second. She saw a man's back facing her from a round table in a corner with four chairs. His back was broad. He had a certain hairstyle that she could recognize from almost anywhere; a little below shoulder length brown hair with a large gray strand tied up into a half up half down style. She almost ignored it, but then Asami gently grabbed her elbow so they stood still. Before she was able to question anything, a small, tan woman walked out from the bathroom. Korra knew that face better than anything. 

" _Mom_!" She quickly ran from Asami to the small woman. Her heart was racing as she closed the distance between the two. Korra brought her mother into one of the tightest hugs she's had, then felt the familiar frail arms wrap around her as well. 

"Is that _the_ Korra?!" A rough voice beveled into her ears. She opened her eyes to see the broad man getting up from his table and walked over to them. It was her father.

" _Dad_!" She screamed with a huge smile. Tonraq joined the hug between her and Senna. Korra felt so safe in their hold. She hadn't seen them in nearly five months. Though that isn't the longest time, family was a very important thing within the southerners' culture. The three of them broke away from the hug, with Senna's hands cupping and smooshing Korra's cheeks. 

"Look at you! You're so beautiful." 

"Don't start crying the girl's birthday, Senna." The older man joked. Senna shushed him and ignored his comment.

"Wh- what are you guys doing here?! I thought you were traveling right now."

"We were, however, we received a certain call from someone _very_ _important_ and had to make a rain check."

Korra twisted her head to look back at Asami who stood a few feet away from the family. Her heart was so full with joy. She separated from her parents to walk back over to the CEO. Their eyes met, and a shock went through Korra's body. 

"You're _amazing_." She breathed.

"I'm glad you like surprise number one."

_I could just kiss her right now. I want to kiss her so badly._

Korra wanted to show how much she appreciated this gesture. She wanted to slam the taller woman against a wall and kiss her harder than she'd ever kissed anyone before, pouring out her gratitude. She was dumbfounded that Asami had even thought about this in the first place. The engineer went out of her way to get in contact with Korra's parents and bring them to the city, all of that for a simple birthday. The two turned back to the older couple. Tonraq held Senna close to her side while the small woman held her hands to her heart. Korra suggested for them all to have a seat, and so they did. 

Korra started off the conversation, "I just can't believe you guys are actually in Republic City. How long have you been here?" 

"Only about three days." Her mother answered. "We've been keeping contact with Asami for about two weeks now, though. She found us at the perfect time." 

"You are _seriously_ the best person ever." The younger southerner whispered to her friend who sat next to her.

"You keep saying that." She whispered back with a smile.

_Because it's true._

The family along with Asami began to ease into comfortable conversations. Korra's parents were finally given the opportunity to get to know the heiress better, even though Korra had told them many things about her. They even blessed Asami with a few embarrassing stories of the advertiser's childhood, which was greatly appreciated _and_ _unappreciated_ from the two business woman. Thankfully their food arrived not long after they ordered, but that didn't stop Senna from going on.

"Oh! I don't think I ever got to tell you how gorgeous you are, Asami. Korra doesn't do you enough justice when she talks about y-"

" _MOM_!"

"Is that so? You talk about me, _blue_ _eyes_?" The mockery of the nickname but Korra jump. She found it kind of ... hot. The tip of her fingers tingled with her neck heating up.

She could barely get out her next sentence,"N- _NO_ I do not."

_Holy shit. Why is she looking at me like that?_

Korra would deny it, but she loved the way Asami was eyeing her at that moment. It made her excited but also nervous as she squirmed in her suddenly uncomfortable seat. Her narrow green eyes squinted, almost the same way they did when the pale woman had challenged her to an arm wrestling match the first night they hung out. 

"Sure." A playful grin, then she turned back to the mother. "Well anyways, thank you, Senna. You're beautiful too, by the way. Korra looks so much like you."

"So I've been told. But she gets most of her personality traits from her father."

"Damn right she does!" The broad man shouted with pride. Tonraq attempted to create a scene by sticking up his arms in the air, Korra followed after his actions swiftly. They posed, showing off their bi and triceps to the two humble women.

"I can _really_ see the resemblance." Asami mumbled to the mother and they both giggled quietly to themselves as the father and daughter flexed their muscles aimlessly. 

Their breakfast, or brunch, went on for awhile longer. Korra ended up ordering and successfully eating four entirely different meals, but that didn't surprise anyone else at the table. The clock rolled around until it reached two in the afternoon. Asami still had two more surprises to get present, one of them being an appointment at three thirty at a place that wasn't so close. Due to this, they unfortunately had to say their goodbyes. Korra's parents informed her how long they would be in the city and which hotel they were staying at. Of course it was one that Future Industries invested in, so Asami made sure that they got one of the best rooms. They parted with long, tight hugs and went their separate ways. 

* * *

"CAN I TAKE THIS STUPID BLINDFOLD OFF NOW?!"

"Shh! Don't scream, Korra."

" _WHAT_?!"She removed the earplugs she was forced to wear and assumed she turned towards Asami, but was actually facing a pillar. "What?"

"I said you don't need to scream." The raven haired woman shook her head while grabbing Korra by her shoulders again, leading her to another room.

"Well it's not _my_ _fault_ that you decided to make me wear these things." The shorter woman waved the plugs in the air. "What was the point of that, anyways?"

"I did it to keep the element of surprise going for as long as possible. But _someone_ doesn't know how to cooperate." 

"Don't tease me, green eyes." The comment slipped through the smirk on her mouth far to easily. She could feel the talle woman's hands tense slightly on her shoulders. _That may have come out wrong._

Soon enough, Asami managed to guide Korra through a few rooms and hallways until they made it to an area outside. 

"Are we outside again? Are we leaving?"

"Yes and no, but you can take your blindfold off, now."

Korra hurriedly removed the bandana from around her eyes, finally being able to take in the scenery. They were in a large cage with fake grass and chewed toys all over the floor. Before she could speak, a woman with a casual uniform and clipboard walked into the cage with them. She was pale with short, brownish - orange hair and blue, almost brown eyes. 

She stuck her hand out to Asami who shook it gratefully. "Good afternoon, Ms. Sato. It's a pleasure to meet you, I'm Suki."

"The pleasure is all mine, Suki." Their hands broke apart. 

"I was told you were here to meet with Naga. Is that correct?" 

"Yes, we are." 

"I'll be right out with her, just give me two seconds." With that, the worker walked out of the cage and back into a building. Korra turned to her friend with a giddy look.

"I'm meeting a _dog_?!" She yelled out. "Who's Naga?!"

Asami didn't even bother to respond when Suki was already back. She held a leash tightly as she was being pulled closer to the business women. The dog that caused this was _beautiful_. Naga had clean, thick white fur with big black eyes. You could easily tell that she was very happy and hyper. Korra had to physically stop herself from squealing, in fear of being kicked out of the shelter. Once Suki was able to take the leash off, the animal went running in fast laps around the caged in play area. 

"Have fun with her!" Suki called with a wave, then closed the gate and went about her work. They watched the dog in awe while she ran in circles until she at last seemed to calm down a little bit. Korra took this as her chance to introduce herself to the white dog. She took a seat on the fake grass and let Naga come over to her. 

"Hi girl." She whispered softly. Once Naga was comfortable with her scent, she brought herself to sit right in Korra's lap. The blue eyed woman let her hands run smoothly through the fur. Naga was extremely soft and obviously well groomed and healthy.

"Asami, you're ama-"

"I'm amazing? I know that by now." The heiress smirked.

"Hilarious." She rolled her eyes, then motioned for Asami to meet the dog. "Come sit with us." 

They both played with the dog for what felt like days, but it was only about an hour. Korra felt herself growing close with Naga already, but also kept watching Asami interact with her. Korra loved when the engineer looked so carefree. Her high ponytail swinging back and forth while she played tug-of-war. Her green eyes gleaming happily. _Her_ _laugh_. It was all so addicting to watch. Korra was caught staring when Asami looked over to her, so she quickly rubbed the back of her neck and acted as if she was picking at pieces of the fake grass.

"You think you're gonna take this one home?"

"I'd love to, but I don't have any stuff for a dog right now."

"Well, you could always _get_ _stuff_. You know that's an option, right?"

"Of course." The tan woman thought to herself for a moment. "What do you think? Should I adopt her? I know I could take care of her, plus my apartment is the perfect size and there's a dog park nearby."

"I remember you talking about dogs like Naga from the south, how there aren't that many of them anymore. I did my best to find any shelters that had her kind and were nearby. She's the only pure breed in all of Republic City, apparently."

_There's no way she's done all of this for me._

_Why?_

"Asami?" The younger Sato hummed to show she was listening. Korra stood from the ground and walked over to her, unintentionally making them stand _extremely_ close. "I just-" _I can't find the right words._ "Thank you for doing all of this. You got my parents to come here and see me, you actually found a dog from the south that's going _extinct_. I don't know how I'm ever going to repay yo-"

She was cut off by the feeling of hot hands pressing on the sides of her face, following with smooth lips brushing over hers. Her body was set up in flames of fire and shocked with bolts of lightning in an instant. Korra closed her eyes and sighed into the unexpecting surprise kiss. It hasn't even been a full twenty four hours since the last, but she missed Asami's lips so, _so_ _much_. They were so soft and they tasted incredibly. It was almost _painful_ how much she enjoyed them. She fell into the older woman's body and they eased into each other. 

Korra slid her hands under Asami's loose shirt to find her skin. The new touch made Asami moan into their kiss. It was heavenly, like a song. It was now Korra's favorite song to listen to. 

_She's perfect._

The pale skin was warm against her fingertips and palms, she craved it so badly. She craved her best friend. It was a scary thought, but it felt right. Kissing her best friend, being so close to her like this, it was _right_. She wanted to do it all of the time, but sadly, she felt her lips grow cold. Asami had stopped their kiss. The loss of contact made her heart drop. Asami was staring into her eyes intently. Her face looked like she was scared, or regretful, but the expression was soon replaced with a softer one.

"You don't need to repay me for anything." She sighed, fiddling with the short hair on the back of the southerner's neck. Their bodies and hand placements didn't move, and neither did their eyes. Korra had lost her words again, completely unable to react to what just happened. If she even tried to speak the only thing that would come out would most likely be a moan she kept in the back of her throat. 

She saw Asami about to say something, though, but instead they heard a loud bark interrupting their 'moment.' They backed away from each other as if they were just caught doing something criminal. Korra looked to Naga who was rolling around the fake grass on her back, clearly asking to be pet.

"I-uh. I guess we- maybe we should-" Korra stuttered while scratching her cheek.

"Uh yeah! Yeah that."

"Okay great, great!" 

The brief 'conversation' had no sense, but they both seemed to understand each other enough. The business women played with Naga for a little longer in somewhat awkward silence, laughing at times when the dog did something humorous. Eye contact was greatly avoided until Suki came back out, saying it was time for Naga to go back. Korra was upset to part from the animal, so she spoke to one of the workers at the front desk and told them to 'hold Naga for her.' Everyone there at the time knew that she would be back for the dog and take her home one day.

* * *

Korra's friends would be over soon for her little birthday gathering at her apartment. Her and Asami had been hanging around there together for a few hours since they left the animal shelter. Of course they spoke, but things were still a bit tense and mildly unpleasant between them.

_Why are things like this?  
_

_We kiss, and then it's all awkward. Why can't we just be casual about ... whatever is going on?_

_What even **is** going on? _

They both sat at the bay window table scrolling through their phones. Korra didn't know about Asami, but she was just blankly staring at a game that she stopped bothering with a while ago. Asami's lips on hers, that's what she wanted. What she truly desired? To actually _talk_ to the heiress about their situation. She continued to tell herself that she was only overthinking everything.

"WHERE'S THE BIRTHDAY GIRL?!" A loud man's scream came from behind her apartment front door. She stood up to open it, and her two co workers jumped into a hug.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY, KORRA!" Opal announced into the tan woman's ears. They broke the hug then walked past her into the kitchen. Bolin held a number of balloons with a rock tied to weigh them down and placed them on the wrap around counter. He turned around swiftly to see Asami still sitting at the table.

"Ms. Sato, you're here!" He chirped and made his way over to her. She got up and laughed at the official name he greeted her with.

"It's great to see you again, but you don't need to call me by my last name. Asami is fine."

"Alright alright. Will do, Ms. Sato." The built man saluted at her jokingly and they shared a laugh. "Oh my god! Korra, _you_ have something to spill."

She raised her eyebrows while scoping out the balloons. "I do?"

"Opal told _me_ that Kuvira told _her_ tha-"

"Uh, wait Bolin-" Opal attempted to stop him, but to no avail obviously. 

"What? It's nothing bad. Her and Kuvira used to ' _get it on_ ' all the time."

The room fell silent. Korra and Asami's eyes went equally wide in unison. The younger business woman turned to the CEO quickly. She didn't know what to say, or if she should say anything at all. Asami's eyes changed to narrow as she walked over to Korra and her co workers at the counter. She placed her elbow on the surface and held her head up with a hand, all while smirking at Korra.

"I didn't know you and your dance partner used to _get it on_."


	14. chapter fourteen

Asami had no reason to care or be so upset, but she did care, and she _was_ upset. She remembered how she felt when that Kuvira girl was all over Korra just the night before; the feeling was unfamiliar and uncomfortable. The way her mind and body tensed up at the sight of Korra being felt up and pleasured by the stranger, she hated it. It disgusted her. She knew it was something along the lines of jealousy, so it also _frightened_ her. 

The heiress hardly spoke for the rest of the night. A few more of Korra's friends came over, and she made decent conversations with everyone easily, as usual, but it was mostly fake. She didn't feel all that well after Bolin had announced that fact about Korra's past. She had no idea that her and Kuvira were _involved_ in some way. As far as she knew, they truly were just old friends through Opal and got carried away at the bar. But now she knows that they have some kind of history, and it didn't sit too right with her.

Plus, Korra never told her about any of it. She never even mentioned Kuvira's name. Of course, this brought a large barrel of anxious thoughts to her mind.

_Were they dating, or just hooking up? How long did it last?_

_Why did it end? Did they have a bad breakup? When was the last time they even saw each other before the club?_

_Were they anything serious?_

_Did Korra love her? Did Kuvira love her?_

Soon enough, the small get together was over. Korra's friends all left after she opened presents and thanked them, so now it was just the two of them. Alone in Korra's apartment again with the air even thicker than before the guests arrived. When Bolin let out the news, the room they all stood in went silent. She was eager to speak with her friend about the past relationship, but before Korra could respond to her snarky comment, the door was knocked on again. The conversation would have to wait.

So there they were, with their backs laid down on the tan woman's bed, both looking up to the still ceiling fan. Neither of them had spoken since they got there, since neither of them even knew what to say. The quietness was killing Asami, though. She realized that she shouldn't push Korra to talk about it, since she wasn't even obligated to tell her anything in the first place. It just boggled her mind why she cared this much. It was all new and confusing. 

"You don't have to tell me anything, I don't need to know." They spoke in whispered tones.

"But you should, you _are_ my best friend. Nothing bad happened, by the way. Nothing traumatic, I mean. It's not like I'm scared to talk about it, it doesn't bother me. So you can ask any questions you want." 

Her throat burned and then went dry. She figured she should play it safe with the questions, whether Korra was truly comfortable with talking about this or not. "How long were you guys together?"

"We weren't really together, it was just sex." The confession stung Asami momentarily. "But it lasted for like ... two years."

"Two _years_? And neither of you caught feelings?"

"Well, when we first started I honestly assumed and _hoped_ that we would actually be together, but things never got that far with her. It wouldn't work out, anyways. See, her and Opal are step sisters, and I'm pretty close with their entire family. We both knew that if we made it anything more then it could ruin a lot of dynamics. It was hard to accept at first, but I got used to it and got over it. It was easy having something so casual, and for it to work out well."

 _That was a lot to take in._ "When did it stop?"

"Uh, three months ago, at the end of January." The younger woman's voice went quieter, she seemed embarrassed almost. Asami shifted her body so she laid on her side, and Korra did the same. They faced each other and just stared for a second.

_January? But that was recent._

It was going on while her and Korra were close, and she knew nothing of it. 

" _Why_ did it stop?"

The conversation was slightly painful for Asami. She listened to all of this the best she could, but the thought of Kuvira reaching such intimate levels with Korra for so long made her stomach twist. 

"I- I don't know." She took a deep breath. " _I_ was the one to say we shouldn't continue. I was kind of an asshole about it, though. I said it just didn't feel the same anymore. But Kuvira took it really well, I was a little shocked but not totally surprised." Korra stopped speaking, gazing away from Asami's eyes to look at anything else. "Kuvira was, _is_ , an amazing person. I would never dare to think anything less of her. She's intelligent, caring, determined, oh and she's _really_ good wit- uh and she's uh, a lot of other things. But it just wasn't right, for me at least." 

"Why didn't you tell me you were seeing someone? Were you afraid I was going to judge you or something?" 

"I don't really go around telling just anyone about my sex life, Asami." The southerner jokes. Despite her answer, Asami knew that wasn't the reason, or that it wasn't the entire truth. She was usually so good at reading people, but for Korra it was completely different. Her blue eyes were wide and she had her lips slightly parted. Her facial expressions were mostly calm, but it also looked like she was trying to reach or search for something. 

"I'm not just anyone, though." The heiress croaked out. 

"I know." Korra turned back to look up at the ceiling fan again, placing her arms lazily over her stomach. "I just didn't think it was a big deal, or that it was important."

_It's not a big deal, and it's not important. She's right._

"I'm sorry I was acting weird tonight. And I never really got to apologize for the way I acted last night either. I honestly didn't mean or _want_ to leave you at all." Asami's brain was telling her to stop speaking in general. She was walking on dangerous, unknown territory. 

"I don't know why you're apologizing." Korra huffed a quiet laugh. "I would've acted the same way."

_What does that mean?_

"So," The advertiser began to start up something new. "Can I ask _you_ questions now?"

_No, Korra. Please don't._

"Um, of course. What do you want to know abo-"

"Why do we keep kissing?" Her body froze. She could no longer look at Korra at all. Her heated neck created a strong, hot blush on her cheeks and ears. Asami sat up from her position to face the long dresser and television in front of Korra's bed. She thought a new sight would somehow stop the conversation, but it didn't. 

Korra halted for a minute, allowing Asami to think, until she went on with her questions, "Are we ... are we just doing it because it feels good or ... is it supposed to mean something?"

 _Stop_.

"Do you ... _regret_ any of it?" Five insanely long minutes of silence and no movement. Asami's heart was beating at an incredible speed, it hurt. She had never been asked such personal questions, and it made her vulnerable. She rather crunch herself up in a corner than answer to Korra, when she didn't even have answers for herself. The heiress somehow hoped that they would never even have to discuss the new 'addition' to their relationship. 

"I'm sorry if I'm overstepping any boundaries, Asami. It's just kind of confusing. You don't have to answer any of that. Just forget- forget I said anything." 

"You're not overstepping." More minutes passed as the two women sat and practically bathed in their own tension. Neither of them knew how long it has been since Asami last spoke, but they didn't care much. They needed to think to themselves for a moment before one started up again.

The engineer opened her mouth, carefully playing out her next sentence. "I don't- " _Deep breaths_. "I don't regret any of it." 

Korra didn't respond. 

"Korra?" Asami turned around again to look back at Korra for the first time in a little while. "What are you thinking about?" The younger woman laying down looked _nervous_. Her chopped hair sprawled shortly across her pillow. Her darkened blue eyes blinking up. Her fingers tied up with each other. Her lips still parting slightly until she bit the lower one.

"How badly I want to kiss you right now."

Korra sat up and shifted on the bed to move over to Asami. They both sat criss-crossed in front of the other. Korra fiddled with a piece of the comforter below them that stuck out between her legs. They were both equally nervous, but for what? They had kissed before, it was just different now. It would be different after the conversations they had. It didn't clear or conquer much, but it left enough room for both women to know that things were changing.

It _terrified_ Asami. 

The southerner moved again to rest her body wait on her legs beneath her, her arms held her up on the pale woman's sides. Now, they were unbelievably close. Their breaths became one as their hearts synced. Asami flickered her eyes down to the brown lips that were only a small amount of inches away from hers. She remembered from just a few hours ago how soft they were, how much she was drawn to them. 

"Can I kiss you?" Flew out of Korra's mouth. The words blew harshly against Asami's lips.

_No._

_Yes._

_I love when you ask for permission._ _  
_

_Please do._

_Please kiss me and never stop kissing me, Korra._

The CEO nodded her head. 

Not a second later, smooth lips crashed with hers in eagerness. 

_So soft._

Asami was lifted into a world of bliss. She didn't wait any longer to squeeze her hands on the tan woman's waist, then quickly brushed up her shirt to be able to feel her skin, just like Korra did earlier in the day. Asami's hands gripped the flaming hot skin, and it made the other business woman create an appreciative sound. The moan beveled down her throat which lit something in her own stomach. Korra's fingers found their way into the raven hair, tangling and losing themselves within the strands while holding Asami's head. 

The kiss wasn't like the others, it was _firey_ and more aggressive. It made the CEO hesitant about any further actions, but she built up enough strength to push those worries aside. With this newfound power and need, she found herself leaning deeper into the kiss. She laid Korra back down on the bed with her on top, crouching down from between Korra's legs. The woman below her sighed due to the dominance. Chills went down Asami's spine as goosebumps appeared on her arms. Korra gripped her head tighter and easily slipped her tongue past the engineer's lips. Asami loved when their tongues met and couldn't even try to hold back her moan. She moved her arms so that one was next to Korra's head, keeping her balanced. The other hand found the wedge behind the southerner's knee and held it up to her thigh, earning her another sharp moan. 

_What is happening? Why do I enjoy this so much? I shouldn't._

_But I do._

Asami loved making Korra feel like this. It made her feel powerful and in charge. Besides the fact that she's literally heir to the throne for the best company in the world, having power over Korra specifically was an entirely new sense. It quickly became addicting. She ran her hand up and down the shorter woman's thigh which made her squirm. Their breaths picked up until the bedroom felt as if someone just turned up the heat to its max. The raven haired woman dared to release her lips from Korra's to move them to her neck. She kissed the flaming skin gently, which clearly made the advertiser needy and more anxious as her groans grew louder, grinding her hips up carefully to meet Asami's. 

_I didn't know she was such a bottom._

Korra's hands left the jet black hair and felt up the heiress's sides and back. Asami stopped leaving love bites on her neck for a moment, just so she could get a good look at her work. Four darker spots were forming, and she smirked proudly to herself. Just as she was about start kissing the flexing collarbone below her, a phone ringing interrupted her; how classy. 

The sudden distraction seemed to bring them both back to reality. Asami's eyes widened when they locked with Korra's. The fear and nerves she managed to push away came crashing back harder. She hurriedly crawled off of the brunette's body, allowing her to stand for herself, but she didn't.

The phone continued to ring, and the piercing sound felt like it was _mocking_ the engineer. She removed her eyes from Korra's heavily breathing, flat on the bed body to look for the phone. Once she found it, she looked at Korra's caller ID to see who was calling.

"Um, Opal's calling." Her voice was hushed and shaking, along with her her hands. She handed the device to Korra who took it and answered.

Asami didn't even bother to care about whatever they were talking about, the words were all muffled to her anyways. She was focused on what had just happened between them. They actually made out, pretty aggressively, for who knows how long. She leaned her body next to the door and made sure to keep her eyes on the ground. 

_What if Opal didn't call? What if we weren't interrupted? How far would we have gone?_

_Why didn't we stop sooner?_

Everything was so messed up in her head, it was moving too fast for her. All she wanted to do was leave the apartment and _go_ _home_. Being around Korra right now was clearly too much for her. It made her brain foggy and delusional, jumping into absurd things such as this. 

"Asami?" The phone call ended. "Are you okay?" 

"Yeah." _Deep breaths._ "Um, why did Opal call?"

"She forgot one of her bracelets here. I just said I'd bring it to her at work."

"Oh." _What's going through her head right now?_ "It's late, isn't it? I should get going."

"I guess."

Asami grabbed her jacket from the coat rack and the two of them walked out, not saying a word to each other. They got to her car that was parked across the street as always. Asami got into the driver's seat, but didn't close the door just yet. 

"Am I seeing you tomorrow?" Korra's eyes were hopeful, anyone could see that. It made the older woman's heart drop.

"I have a meeting, and I've been slacking on my newest car model so I should probably work on that for ... awhile." 

"Oh, okay."

* * *

Asami and Korra haven't seen each other in four weeks, just about a month. The last time they hung out was on Korra's birthday, and they haven't been from each other for that long since they started hanging out. It's not like neither of them tried to meet up, well, Korra tried at least. She tried for about two and a half weeks until she just stopped, and the CEO didn't blame her one bit. They still called and texted, though. But it wasn't in the same tone or consistency.

Asami didn't know what the hell was wrong with her. All her and Korra did was kiss a few times. She's kissed a lot of her friends before, so this shouldn't be anything new. But it _was_ and it was horribly obvious. This wouldn't just be a simple friends with benefits thing that would last a few months and then they'd forget it had ever happened. She's not even sure that she would _want_ to forget. Like she told Korra those weeks ago, she didn't regret any of it. That was the truth.

Once again, the CEO was terrified of the new ... everything. She tried to distract herself by diving back into her work; staying in her office and workshop for long days, having as many calls and meetings as possible, writing or sketching down any new idea that popped into her head. However, it was all pointless. At the end of the day when she finally got to rest and lay in her bed, Korra popped up. Korra's laugh, smile, raised eyebrow, moans, thighs, muscular arms, self chopped hair, jokes. 

It was _way_ too much.

One night, even _Kuvira_ popped up. Asami pictured the two women dancing together at the club again and her knuckles almost turned paperwhite as they gripped her large blanket.

She just neede- _wanted_ to see her best friend again, no kissing next time. 

It was the nearing the middle of May, so the weather was picking up in heat. Asami thankfully didn't have any calls or meetings on a certain day, so she chose that to be the day where she would see Korra again. The idea itself seemed easy, but then again, easier said than done. 

The engineer stared at the phone in her hands, blankly reading the last texts her and Korra sent to each other. They were talking about a new project Varrick had given the advertiser, but this conversation was four days old. 

_hey korra_

Exactly seven minutes passed until she got a response.

**asami! hey**

_are you free today_

_i was thinking we could hang out_

**shit**

**i actually have plans with a friend today**

Was she avoiding Asami? Because if so, she knew that she definitely deserved it. 

_oh. well are you free this friday?_

**i should be. i get off of work at like six**

**what are we doing tho**

Asami didn't think of that. It took her a few seconds to come up with something, and she thought of what they did best together. Something simple and casual and strictly _friendly_.

_you can come over so we can watch a movie_

_any movie you want_

**okay sounds good**

_so i'll see you then?_

She was partially worried about how desperate she may have sounded, even though Korra wouldn't care or judge if she even noticed. 

**yeah. i'll be over at around eight thirty probably**

perfect!!

The business woman wanted to make things right with Korra. Their time away from each other should have been enough for anything between them to die down. Which is what Asami wanted, right?

After the brief conversation, she decided to visit Mako at his work. It's not like she had anything else to actually take care of for the rest of the day. She arrived at the police department quickly and politely greeted the people she passed. Asami didn't bother to let Mako know that she would be visiting, since it was obvious that he would either be in an interrogation room or in his office.

She made it to his door and knocked on it harshly and impatiently. A grumbled "Come in." was heard through the door. The heiress opened up and closed it behind her immediately, sliding her back on the steel.

"Do you think she hates me?"

"Wh- _Asami_?" The sharp man gawked at her unexpected presence. "What are you _doing_ _here_? I'm in the middle of _very_ important work, for your information."

"I need someone to talk to." 

"About?" He looked back down to his papers, reading and signing whatever was laid out on his desk.

"Korra."

"Why did I even bother asking?" Mako sighed and pointed to the armchair that sat in front of his desk. "Just, sit in the chair."

Asami took her seat with an exaggerated groan. "She hates me, doesn't she? She _should_."

"Why do you keep saying that? You know she doesn't hate you."

"But it's a possibility. I've told you what's going on between us. I'm probably confusing her."

"You're confusing _me_." 

"You are _so_ unhelpful with these things." She leveled down her frustration since she knew this was just how Mako was, but still used it as an opportunity to playfully insult him. "How the hell do you have a boyfriend?"

"It's my charm." Smugly said.

"You have no charm."

"Take that back, Sato." 

"Anyways," Ignoring his comment of course. "I haven't seen her since her birthday night, you know, when I pinned her to her bed and made out with her for- I don't even know how long!"

"Then why don't you see her? You clearly want to." 

"She's coming over this Friday, I finally got the guts to reach out to her. B- But what if we ... kiss again?"

"Just don't, even though you _clearly_ want to."

"But _why_ are we even kissing? _She_ asked me why and I couldn't even come up with an answer! I've been thinking about it since then. Is it because it feels good? But _why_ does it feel good? And why did my body get all tight when she danced with Kuvira that night? Also when she told me about their history, it was nearly impossible to listen to. There's no logical reason for that either. _Also_ , I've been getting all nervous around her. Kissing a friend shouldn't be as big of a deal as I'm making it out to be." 

At this point, Asami had done a great job at tuning Mako out almost completely. The CEO was basically talking to herself out loud.

"It's because you have feelings for her."

"I just don't understand what's going on. Since when did friendships become so _difficult_? It was all going so well, and then the club night happened. You know, she didn't _have_ to look so good that night!"

"Did you hear me? _Asami_?!" The slender man snapped at the heiress. The raise of tone managed to grasp her attention. She turned to look back at him with a raised brow.

"I'm sorry, were you talking?"

"I _said_ , it's because you have feelings for her. Or you're developing feelings, at the least. You're smart but you're also the most _oblivious_ person I know."

* * *

Asami went back to her workshop at her dad's mansion after her time with Mako. For the rest of the day, all she could think about was what the detective had said to her. When she first heard him, the only proper reaction she could think of was bursting out laughing. She had to wipe her eyes form the tears that pricked out. Mako shrugged her off and mumbled something under his breath, inaudible but most likely a curse.

_Mako's full of shit._

The younger Sato waited impatiently, and anxiously, for the Friday of to roll around. Before she knew it, it was Thursday evening. It was embarrassing, and Asami would never say the actual reason for it, but she hired a cleaning service that day to take care of her entire apartment. She just wanted to make sure that everything would be perfectly neat for when Korra arrived.

Even though it didn't matter, so she says.

Since talking with Mako was hardly any help, she decided to turn to Wu. That didn't go well at all. The entire time they were on the phone, the obnoxious man would only go on and on about how much of a bottom his boyfriend is; in the bed and out of the bed. She laughed to herself, though, thinking back to- thinking back to nothing.

She then thought that maybe Kai would be a good person to get advice from. Him and the Jinora girl from Kwan's actually hit it off, and have been going on dates ever since. They're not official yet, even though they're both clearly falling in love with each other, which was weird to Asami.

If people had feelings for each other, why not be together? But then again, what did she know? Relationships weren't her thing. None of it made much sense, anyways.

Regardless of her theory, Kai basically said the same things that Mako told her.

_Was it that obvious? Am I actually catching feelings?_

_After all of these years, doing my best to keep my heart untouched and unhurt. It used to be so easy, I never had to think twice about my actions. But now it's **Korra**. Why is it so different with her? Why does it have to be **her**?_

_Do I even mind catching feelings for Korra? And would it that bad?_

_It is. But at the same time it seems ... fine._

Asami now sat at her vanity, blankly staring daggers at the reflection in front of her. Something was wrong, and off. She looked different somehow, but tried to ignore it. Degrading thoughts of herself swirled around her mind. 

_What is wrong with you?_

_Why can't things just be normal?_

_Why did you have to ignore her for so long? Why do you have to act out everytime something happens?_

_It's pathetic._

She was trying to read _herself_. That was something that the raven haired woman hasn't done in a long, long time.

_What are you feeling, Asami?_

The reflection mimicked her, and it felt like mocking. Like she was being laughed at. Asami noticed the small pimples that were forming on her forehead and right cheek. They weren't too noticeable, and not red since she refused to really touch them in fear of irritation. They began to pop up about three weeks ago, and she hasn't had any signs of acne since last year's mid December. 

_How incredibly convenient._

She figured that it was simply due to stress. Maybe ever since she started avoiding Korra and her time with work has increased. Her latest car model would be finished soon, almost ready for it to be tested on Future Industries' track. That was just another thing to worry about.

_Why can't I just be carefree? I just want this to be easy._

Much like Korra was. Asami admired that the most about her friend. Even when things were more challenging, she actually knew how to pay attention to the silver lining, or she was really good at pretending to. 

_Silver lining. What's the silver lining here?_


	15. chapter fifteen

Four weeks since she last saw Asami. Four weeks since she was the most bottom she had ever been _because_ of Asami. The image of the heiress on top of her, the feeling of her soft lips making marks on her neck, her hot hands practically creating burn marks on her skin; they were all very difficult things to forget or push to the side. And Korra didn't even _want_ to forget, either. She dwelled on their moment like no other, hoping that it may have meant something to Asami like it meant to her. It fogged and then completely clouded her mind, making it a bit hard to focus on anything else. 

Korra figured that something may even follow after that, even after Opal's interruption. But it became clear that Asami wasn't on the same page as her, maybe not even the same book. She wanted to speak with her friend about the situation again, but knew she shouldn't. It's not like they accomplished much either the last time she tried. 

Well, other than gaining a _very_ heated makeout session. 

But otherwise, Asami had kept to herself, _avoiding_ Korra for an entire month. If she wanted to talk about it, she would. Korra wasn't going to go out of her way to pressure her into anything. If things were ever going to work out between them, in whatever way that Korra wanted, she would need to give Asami time. 

And she did. Now the older woman had finally reached out to her again. She was about to see her.

"We're here." The cab driver spoke up, breaking Korra from her thought process. She had almost forgotten where they were. 

"Oh, sorry." She began to reach into her jacket's pocket for the money she owed, but an idea came to mind before she could. "Wait, do you think you could take me somewhere else?"

The driver turned around in his seat to face her. He was an older man with a clear attitude, but Korra didn't care. He gave her a hard and bored glare. 

"Please, I'll just text my friend to come out now. She won't be long." 

"You know you have to pay me for waiting, right? I'm not a _personal_ chauffeur." 

"Yeah of course." Korra pulled out her phone in a hurry and texted Asami, telling her to come outside dressed properly and ready to go somewhere. 

**wait why**

**i thought we were having a movie night here**

_yeah but i have a better idea_

_trust me_

_JUST GET OUT HERENOW_

_THIS GUYIS CHARGING ME BY TTHE MIUNUTE_

**alright im putting my shoes on now**

About three minutes later, a jogging, tall woman appeared through the large glass doors, making her way down the dark red carpet. Korra leaned her body over to open the cab's door for her. Asami climbed in, finally giving the southerner a chance to get a good look at her. She was dressed casually which was good for what Korra had planned. Her hair sat in a high, swinging ponytail. 

They made eye contact, and suddenly, Korra's heart rate picked up, but that wasn't anything new or surprising. If she was being honest, she truly did miss staring into those green eyes. They were absolutely captivating and addicting. A friendly smile creeped up on Asami's face which grabbed Korra's attention down to her lips.

"Hey." The engineer spoke.

"Hi." She was momentarily stunned, giving a deer in headlights impression. 

"Okay, where to now?" The cab driver started up the car again, peering at the two women in the back seat from the rear view mirror. "My shift is almost over."

* * *

They made it to the top of the reservation at last. By now, it was around nine pm. Luckily due to summer approaching, the sun would set much later, giving everyone more time of day. Korra wanted to show Asami two things that she knew they'd both enjoy.

"You keep taking me into nature for surprises. Are you sure _I'm_ the one who loves it so much?" The taller woman trailed behind the brunette as they walked towards the main area.

"Maybe I do love nature a lot. I probably get it from my parents." 

Asami laughed at the confession. They only had to walk a few more feet before reaching their final destination. At the top of the reservation was a large, mostly open area for people to stay at. There were tiny monuments, many benches, a small gazebo, a stand with a map of the reservation and a long rock ledge to lean on. Surprisingly, and thankfully, they were the only occupants other than a group of three who were at the map stand. It looked like they were getting ready to head back down, so Korra and Asami would soon be alone up there. Props of doing an activity like this on a Friday night.

Korra's eyes lit up at the scenery, and the engineer noticed. "Do you come here often?"

"Honestly, not really."

"I didn't think so, you've never told me about it. When was the last time you were here?"

"Last summer with Bolin, Opal and Kuvira." She found herself hesitate on the last name she announced, not knowing if Asami would enjoy hearing it. If it did bother her, she didn't say anything of it nor did she show any signs.

Instead, the green eyed woman walked over to the rock ledge and leaned her upper body on it, crossing her arms. Korra followed her, standing pretty close with their arms brushing against each other's gently. They didn't speak, simply soaking in the sun setting. It would be nightfall soon, but this was Korra's plan all along.

Korra used this quiet time to think to herself, and that lead to a bit of _overthinking_.

_Why has it been so long since I've last seen her?_

_Is she mad about what happened my birthday? She doesn't seem upset._

_Maybe she just needed time, and I gave that to her. Everything seems pretty fine now._

_Am I ever going to get to kiss her again? Or possibly even be wi-_

"It's amazing." The statement broke her trance. 

She looked up to the heiress. Her ponytail blew in the soft, spring breeze. The pink and orange painted sky made her pale skin glow and let her green eyes twinkle. 

"The view." Asami basically had to repeat herself to get Korra to actually pay attention. The advertiser soon realized that she was just staring at her friend, which must have been weird for her though she said nothing.

"Oh, um yeah. Yeah it is. My friends and I used to come up here a lot when we first got close. Then it kind of started to die out over time. I almost completely forgot about it." 

"Well I'm glad you didn't. I hardly even knew this place existed."

"Your eyes are really pretty." It slipped. It just slipped from her mouth before she could even process the thought in her own head. Her eyes went wide, quickly looking back at the view to avoid Asami's gaze that was turned to her. 

_I know I did not just say that to her._

"Oh, really?" Asami stiffened her posture and tucked a loose strand of hair behind her ear, like she always did when she was nervous. "Um, th- thank you."

_I actually said that. Shit._

Korra shifted a bit, trying to ignore the heat creeping up her neck. "Sorry if that was weird."

"It wasn't, it just caught me by surprise." More seconds of silence passed until she spoke up again, "You look beautiful, by the way."

The comment nearly made Korra stumble backwards, or stumble off the ledge. Asami had just called her beautiful, to her _face_. She met with the green eyes again and they were only filled with sincerity. She meant it. Maybe not like in the club when they were tipsy and all sorts of stuff happened, she actually _meant_ _it_ and Korra was sure of it.

"Thanks." She whispered.

For a second, just a second, it looked like all of Asami's walls had fallen then and there. Her body language was less tense. Her lips parted a bit, as if she was about to say something, but then quickly closed them again and looked away. The walls were back up. But _why_? Korra wondered what was going through her head, but decided it was better to not ask. 

Staying like this, they waited another few minutes for the sun to finally set. A smile appeared on Korra's face when she looked back up to the sky. The stars would be out soon. She gently grabbed Asami by her wrist and dragged her away from the ledge.

"Korra, where are we going?"

"Right here." She let go and sat down on a large area of grass. It was a little itchy, but soft enough to easily get comfortable on. She leaned her back against a large log that has sat there for years, untouched. Asami's brow raised with a perplexed look.

"We're _stargazing_ , green eyes." Korra answered without her even having to ask. The pale woman took a seat right next to her, having their arms lightly touch again. 

The two business women admired the stars above them. Korra managed to point out a number constellations she saw that she had memorized. It was a little talent of hers that she didn't really share, not even with Bolin or Opal. She picked it up from her parents at a young age and always thought it was a little embarrassing.

But it wasn't embarrassing when she shared her knowledge with Asami.

"You know _all_ of these?" Asami gawked in admiration.

"That's only a few. My parents are pretty crazy about this stuff." 

"I didn't know you had so many layers to you, _blue_ _eyes_." Her voice suddenly turned husky. It made Korra's positioning become uncomfortable as her body tensed. Anytime Asami reversed the nickname on to her, she swooned. It was incredibly attractive. 

"Well, yeah I mean- uh I guess so." 

_You sound like an idiot._

"My mom liked the stars too." Her mother. 

_Like **d**?_

Korra thought back, and realized that the younger Sato had never spoken about her mother. Not once. She knew as much as anyone else did; that she just wasn't in the picture. It was only her and Hiroshi, but she never exactly knew why. 

"Your mom. You've never mentioned her to me before." She was hopeful that maybe Asami would open up to her about the topic.

"I don't really talk about her at all, that's why."

Her face painted with concern. "Do you _want_ to talk about her?" 

"No." Asami finally answered after awhile. "Well, not yet. I just want to focus on the stars with _you_ right now."

Korra didn't question any further. Instead, she nodded with a reassuring smile. Her eyes flickered down to Asami's lips briefly as she bit the lower lip. Then looked back to the sky.

"Why did you do this?" Asami continued to stare at Korra deeply, waiting impatiently for her to return the gaze. 

"What do you mean?" She turned her head to meet the green eyes again, then made a joke, "Are you mad that I blew off movie night?"

"No, obviously not. I mean," A sucked in breath. "Why take me here?"

"Do I really need a reason?"

"I suppose not, but still. It's nice to have answers sometimes."

It was a bit funny, considering when Korra had asked Asami for answers, she didn't receive many on her end. 

"Well, if I had to give a reason, it would be that you've done so much for me in such little time."

"And?"

" _And_?" Korra mocked with a sharp, disbelieving laugh. "You got us matching, expensive looking bracelets for starters. Then went all out for my birthday. You took me to the club, managed to get my _parents_ to come out here, you went through so much trouble to find Naga for me, you ..."

Korra stopped herself before she could continue. More memories off them together on her bed flooded her mind quickly, making her body heat up with a short shock of electricity running through her fingers.

"Did you forget when you took me to the lake that one day? That was the most beautiful place I've ever been to." The shorter woman gave her a 'im not dumb' look. "Seriously, Korra. I still think about it, honestly. Also, it means a lot that you have me over at your place so often. It's nice to escape everything else once in awhile."

They both blushed. 

"Yeah yeah. I guess I just wanted to do something for you, too, even if it's not much." 

"You didn't have to, though."

Korra smiled to herself shyly, kicking the small rocks near her feet. "I know, but I wanted to. Don't go making it a bigger deal than it is."

Her main goal was simply to make Asami happy, and she succeeded. It brought her a different kind of joy.

"Thank you. Believe me when I say it's perfect."

"Okay." She sighed. They were so close.

Silence crept up on them for a short moment as they stared at each other, so Korra turned her head back to face the star covered sky sitting above the city. She then felt Asami shift even closer to her, and she planted a soft kiss on her cheek while delicately holding her chin up with two fingers. It made Korra's body go rigid; the southerner was frozen in her position. Asami kept her her hand placement, turning the blue eyed woman's head to face her now. They locked eye contact, then the engineer planted a gentle kiss on her lips.

It was so gentle, Korra could hardly feel it. She closed her eyes immediately to be able to take in the ghost of Asami's lips. She tasted magnificent. It was _dangerously_ addictive. 

However, the CEO didn't stop at just the two innocent kisses. Her lips trailed soft kisses down the line of Korra's jaw. Asami moved her body, hesitantly, to sit on Korra's lap, her legs squeezing the ones between her. It was a little uncomfortable at first, until the younger woman placed her hands on Asami's sides to pull their chests closer together. She almost reached her neck before stopping, hovering over the hot skin.

"Is this okay?" Asami whispered playfully into the southerner's ear, but also a layer of genuine concern was there. The question for approval sent a chill down her spine, the short hair on the back of her neck rising. Her warm, heavy breathing blowing against her. It was already too much.

Korra nearly crumbled completely. 

"Yes." It came out in a low, breathy mumble rather than a clear response, but Asami knew what she was saying anyways. Korra sounded desperate, but didn't care. Her only worry now was whether or not Asami would go on.

Much to her desire, the heiress gladly continued her actions. She pressed soft kisses on Korra's jaw again, then finally gave attention to her neck. She easily found the sweet spot from last time, sucking and swirling her tongue over the sensitive area. Korra hissed at the sensation. Her mouth slightly fell open with a quiet moan escaping from it. She could feel Asami's body on top of her tense up, then the pleasure on her neck became more intense. Her hands gripped on the older woman's waist tighter. 

It made her laugh for a second, internally, at how easily Asami could overpower her like this. This has happened three different times now, and it always left her shocked at first. Truthfully, she didn't mind one bit surrendering to the CEO. It _excited_ her. She came to the realization that she would let Asami do whatever she wanted _with_ and _to_ her. 

Their breaths equally picked up and the feeling of need pounded between Korra's legs. It became harder to ignore with every bite that Asami left on her neck. She reluctantly moved away from the soft lips, only to meet them again with hers. The kiss was harsh and urgent for a moment, then soothed into something more careful ... almost _passionate_. Asami hummed in delight. Korra's hands began to roam all around her back, she just wanted to feel her. To touch her. Their tongues then played with each other for awhile, exploring the other's mouth once again. 

_Whatever is happening, I don't want it to stop._

_What **is** happening, though?_

Korra wanted to repay Asami for her deeds, so she mimicked her previous actions. She pushed the older woman's hair to the side and leaned into the bare neck. The second her lips hit, Asami let out a loud groan while gripping Korra's chopped hair. Korra grew to love the taste of her skin instantly. She sucked and bit harder, one hundred percent positive that her work would leave a number of marks. 

Which is exactly what she wanted, to mark her place. 

The engineer squirmed at the wet touch. Her moans were difficult to keep muffled, so eventually she just let them go. It's not like anyone was around to hear. The blue eyed woman couldn't be more happy with the decision. The sounds flying out of her throat vibrated against Korra's lips, causing her to stop for a second to take it all in. 

"Korra." Escaped through her gritted teeth. Another hiss followed after it. A different tone of voice compared to what she usually hears. It was grainy and quiet, but it screamed into Korra's ears and rattled her brain. She had to squeeze her eyes shut. 

She _wanted_ Asami. 

In every way that she would be allowed to have her. 

Her lips traveled to her collarbone, and before either of them could tell, they were grinding up against each other. Heat and lust and and passion and _need_ fogged their minds. They felt the other up as much as they could. Hands ran everywhere, hair was becoming messier than originally planned. It was hard to decipher which mouths the sounds of pleasure were coming from at that point. Korra released her mouth from the skin to go back up and kiss her properly when Asami's voice interrupted her. 

"W- wait." The raven haired woman hardly managed to get out that single word without another moan coming out with it. Korra immediately stopped and met her eyes. "Two things."

"Is everything okay? Did I do something wrong?" Her brows furrowed. 

"Everything is ... _amazing_ and no, of course you did nothing wrong." The heiress stroked Korra's hair more calmly now while trying to catch her breath. The faint yellow light from the lamps around the area lit up her face.

_Spirits she's gorgeous._

"It's just- I know what you're thinking, Korra, even if you don't realize it yourself right now. I don't have the answers that you're looking for; the ones that you asked for last time. Not just yet, but ..." The tan woman's eyes went wide at how easily she was read, but continued to listen to what Asami was saying. "Look, I'm not too sure what's going on so, can we just go with it for now? With whatever this is? I don't really know what I'm asking for honestly, but I'm-"

"Yes." A sharp answer without hesitation or a second thought.

"Yes?"

Korra smiled brightly, her heart beating but for a different reason now. "Let's just go with whatever this is for now."

"Okay." Asami nodded softly.

That was all Korra wanted to hear. That was enough for an answer. "And the other thing?"

"The other thing?"

"You said you had two things tell me. Remember?" She shared a sly grin which made the green eyed woman laugh. 

"Oh, um yeah. I was just gonna say that we should head down now. I don't really want to walk through the woods in the dark but it seems like we'll have to."

"Actually, we won't. There's a paved road that leads you right back to the main area, and it's only like a five minute walk."

"Okay then." Asami's smile met her eyes. She stood from her placement on Korra's lap, then held her hand out. The shorter woman took it and stood up right in front of her. They stared at each other with shaking eyes. For the first time, there wasn't a feeling of awkwardness between them after their kiss. The air wasn't dense or trying to suffocate them. It all just felt kind of _natural_.

For Korra, at least. She wasn't positive on what Asami was thinking, but knew it was best not to pry and ruin their moment. 

_We had a moment._

She felt like she was in high school all over again. Like she was just a kid having her first romantic experience with someone.

"I don't want this night to end, though. Wanna go back to my place? Movie night is still on, if that's what you want." Korra suggested as they made their way towards the paved road, walking closely side by side. 

"I'd like that."

She first thought about going in to take Asami's hand, but then remembered the last time she tried to do that. The heiress flinched and gave her a terrified expression. She didn't like to think back to that, but it still lingered around the back of her mind.

_Don't push anything._

_You just might have a chance._


	16. chapter sixteen

No kissing next time.' That turned out to be a load of crap.

But it's not like Asami could even help herself, either. She was completely caught in the way Korra looked at her under the stars and dimly lit lamp lights, it was different. Her usually cold blue eyes softened. The silence that surrounded them was eating her up, along with their breaths coming together as one due to how close they were. 

Asami remembered seeing Korra's eyes flicker down to her lips for a split second when she bit her bottom lip. She expected for her to make some kind of move, but instead she looked back to the stars. She knew that Korra wouldn't do anything without her permission, so she decided that maybe it was her job to do so. 

It was originally planned to be a simple kiss on the cheek to show her gratitude, but the taste of Korra's skin against her mouth nearly swallowed her whole. Her skin was so smooth. She felt Korra go slightly rigid under her touch, her breath hitching, and that only made Asami want her more. 

The memory of Korra's lips on hers left a large stain in her brain. So soft and hot. Puffy after their long moments of aggressive kissing. It drove her mad. The way Korra held her so close and carefully, as if she was a fragile piece of glass about to break, it was all far too intoxicating. Everytime their lips pulled apart for either air or to move to another location, she found herself actually missing the contact. It was odd, considering their bodies were practically sewed attached to each other, but she still missed it. 

She missed it right now, even. But it wasn't even the feeling of Korra's lips that she missed, or the intense, unspoken passion that they shared. She just missed _Korra_. 

Sighing to herself, Asami realized that she was barely done reading the document set in front of her - there were still at least five pages left to review. Lately her work has been flooding into and taking over her personal life. It cut time into being able to hang out with Korra or the guys. Kai called her earlier in the morning to ask if she was available to grab lunch with her since he was in the area, but she had to decline. The amount of meetings, phone calls, test runs, and contracts to sign began to overwhelm her. 

"The merchant called again, love." Alicia announced while scribbling things down to a few post it notes.

"That's the third time in the past four days."

"I know." She fixed her fallen, loose ponytail momentarily then went to place the post it notes on the corner of Asami's desk where she liked them. "I told him that you would get back to him when you have time, but he insists that a meeting is urgent."

"I can't right now, though. I'm swarmed. Specifically swarmed with things that are more important than some new, stupid business that is probably never going to pick up." 

Alicia snickered to herself at the small outburst, which earned her a glare from Asami though she continued to laugh. Asami gripped the pen in her hand then let it fall on her desk creating a loud clunk noise. 

"Are you doing okay, love?"

"Honestly, not really. I know it's my job to, you know, be a boss and all, but my head has been spinning for days non stop. It's exhausting not being able to think straight."

"You're not usually like this. I don't mean to pray, and you don't have to tell me but, is there anything else going on that could be damaging your focus?"

"Maybe."

"Anything you're willing to talk about?" She took a seat in one of the chairs in front of the large desk and crossed her right leg over the other, slouching her arms on the arm rests. "I know I'm just one of your assistants-"

"My _highest_ assistant. Favorite assistant also, but don't go around screaming that." Asami corrected her. Alicia gave her a smile with a head tilt before continuing. 

"True, I'm also your friend. If you feel like venting to me, I'm all ears."

"It's not that big of a deal, just something going on with a friend of mine." A part of her halted before saying the word 'friend.' It seemed like a bit of an understatement to how she truly thought about Korra. But she wasn't all that ready to cross that bridge just yet.

But spirits did she want to. 

"Did you guys get into a fight?"

"No, no. It's nothing like that; quite the opposite, actually."

"I'm getting inside information on Asami Sato's personal life? I should sell this to the media. Go on, I'm taking notes in my head." She joked to make Asami more comfortable, which worked. She eased up just slightly and began to open up about her situation. 

"Very funny. Anyways," She went on. "We've been friends for a while now, but recently since her birthday about a month ago, we've been getting a little more ... touchy with each other; more intimate." 

"So it's turning into a friends with benefits thing?"

"Definitely not. If it were that simple I wouldn't be stressing like this. I think it may be something more than that. Like a deeper meaning? When I kiss her, it's like I've ... in a different world. It sounds ridiculous but it's true. Being around her is just so- I don't know. Being around her is so _exciting_. I feel like I sound clueless. It's just kind of new to me. My heart never beats this fast when I'm talking about someone! Am I going crazy, Alicia? Because I feel crazy. _She_ makes me feel crazy." 

_'But in the best way'_ she wanted to add on at the end, but chose not to. Asami didn't even notice how her chest went up and down after the long confession. She basically released all of that in one breath. She looked back to Alicia with yearning eyes as her assistant simply gave a cheeky grin. 

"Do I know this girl?"

Asami shook her head as Alicia completely disregarded everything she just said. "Huh?"

"I'm just asking if I know her." 

"Probably not personally, she's never been here. But her name's Korra. She works in advertisement at the Blackstone building."

"Korra, Korra." Alicia crossed her arms and leaned back in the chair as she tried to remember the name. "I think you've mentioned her a few times before, but briefly. Is that her?" She pointed to a small, framed photo on Asami's desk. It was a picture of her and Korra sitting in a booth together at a bar. That was the first night that they hung out.

Korra's head was leaned to hover over Asami's shoulder. Their bodies were mostly facing each other, indicating that they were in the middle of a conversation that was interrupted for the picture. You could see the corners of Kai and Opal on either sides of them, but they were cropped so it was just the two friends. 

That night started something ... amazing. Asami's heart swelled at the memory of the night and how far it brought them. However, now things were more confusing than she hoped they would be.

"Yeah, that's Korra." She finally replied with a sigh.

"She's really pretty."

"Yeah. She's beautiful." Asami bit her bottom lip to keep herself from smiling, although it hardly helped her case.

"So basically, you're saying that you think you have feelings for her but you're not totally sure."

Feelings for Korra. The idea had been proposed to her countless times now. Mostly by Mako, Wu, and Kai, but now she was getting a different perspective on it. Could it really be a coincidence? Maybe it was time for Asami to just start accepting the observations and advice that was thrown at her ...

"I mean, it's a possibility. But feelings like _that_ have never been a thing for me."

"Interesting." Alicia pursed her lips, then stood from the chair and straightened out her tight, fitted dress. "Alright, well I should get going now. Lots of people to take care of under your name."

"Wait, that's it?" 

"I didn't know you enjoyed my company so much." The assistant snickered again while pointing to the packet of papers on Asami's desk. "Do you want me to go over that and highlight the important things for you, love?"

"You wouldn't mind? This one happens to be incredibly boring."

"If I minded, I wouldn't have offered."

"I seriously owe you." She folded up the papers back to its original state and handed the packet to Alicia. Alicia took the document gladly and began to make her way out of the office. 

"Keep filling me in on the drama in your life; that should be enough." She said with a smirk.

"You deserve a raise!" Asami called out before she closed the door behind her.

"Don't mention it!" 

* * *

She stumbled back into her apartment and was finally able to let out an exasperated sigh that she had been holding in all day. It was way past the time she usually got home; it being a little past eleven pm. She'd been up since five in the morning, and had been working since seven. 

The routine wasn't so foreign, it was just her mindset that was the problem. Half of her was in a completely different place. She wasn't used to being so distracted from her work like this. 

But it was partially thrilling; getting to feel something different for once.

Asami removed her coat and shoes to put them in the mud closet in the foyer, then made her way to her kitchen. She placed her bag down on the island counter and washed her hands. While moving around, she thought that it would be a good time for some wine. Something was needed in order to calm down her nerves. 

With that thought, she poured herself half a glass of her classic white wine and brought herself to her bedroom. She dimmed the lights, in consideration of her burning eyes, then sat on the small couch and took out her phone. Asami didn't have much to do at this point besides maybe watching a movie or catching up on a show.

Neither of those things seemed too appealing to her, though. She wanted company, or just someone to talk to. 

Scrolling through her recent phone calls, it didn't take her long before her thumb clicked on the most familiar contact. She put her phone on speaker and quietly sat there while sipping on her drink, waiting for an answer.

After a few seconds of ringing, it went to voicemail. Asami rolled her eyes in frustration and took another sip from the glass that was nearing empty.

_It's late. She's probably asleep. Or in the shower._

Another hour passed, still no call back from Korra. And with that hour that passed, Asami was down four glasses of wine. She never went past two for one night because she knew that her tolerance level wasn't the strongest. Being a lightweight was always a bit embarrassing, but it's not like anyone was there to witness her actions.

She wasn't doing much; just blasting music that she herself could barely hear while giggling at past memories that came up. She remembered the first time that she ever saw Korra - and remembered how she never wanted to look away from her after that - all the way back in mid August of last year.

* * *

Korra walked out of the elevator with two other people beside her, all of them laughing together. She was dressed up; having on a light gray suit a white button up underneath, black heals and her short hair was clearly well brushed. She probably had an important meeting or presentation. The three friends, Asami assumed, walked through the main area of that floor. People said hi to them as they passed, they said hi to Korra. It was obvious from there that Korra easily grabbed people's attention and lit up the room. Her presence itself was alluring. Asami stood in the corner with the printer machine, trying to be subtle about her supposed staring. 

That didn't work. Zhu Li made her way over to stand next to Asami to use the copying machine. The small woman continued to look down while trying to make conversation, but Asami was lost in her thoughts as her eyes subconsciously followed Korra around. When Zhu Li caught on to what was so distracting, she huffed a laugh and nudged Asami's arm with hers.

"Zhu Li!" She yelped. "Hey. How long have you been standing there?"

"One or two minutes. I was trying to start up a conversation with you, actually."

"Oh I'm sorry. I just got caught up in my thoughts."

"I can see that. What are you printing?" 

"Who's that girl?" Asami asked, not even acknowledging Zhu Li's first question.

She turned her head to see who Asami was talking about, even though she knew. She smirked playfully then went on, "Which one?"

"With the short hair in the gray suit."

"That's Korra, she works in the advertising and marketing department. I figured you'd ask about her." Zhu Li smirked again at the expression on Asami's face. 

"Why do you say that?"

"Because for the one or two minutes that you were 'caught up in your thoughts' you were watching her every move from the moment she exited the elevator."

"Oh, was I? That's ... embarrassing." She finally turned around to return to her business at the printer. Her face was slightly flushed with red at the call out, but she ignored it anyways.

* * *

Laughing to herself for the four hundredth time that night, she went to pick up her phone again to check the time; it was past one in the morning. 

"Shit." She cursed rather loudly. Asami set her glass down on her bed side table. Just as she was about to go to her bathroom to actually get ready for bed, her phone began to ring. 

Whoever was calling her unannounced at one in the morning better have a good reason to do so. Bothering to look at the caller ID seemed pointless to her with the state she was in, so she clicked on the 'accept' button and put it on speaker.

"Hello!"

"Asami?"

Her eyes went wide at the voice that spoke into the line. She caught her heart flutter at the way Korra talked; sleepy, husky, soft. Korra's night voice, she could get used to that. Asami didn't even realize that she went on admiring her friend's voice until she heard her name through the phone a second time.

"Hey! Sorry I didn't hear you the first time."

"It's good. I saw you called a while ago and wanted to make sure you were okay."

She sighed. No, she _swooned_. 

"I'm fine, don't worry. I just wanted to talk to you." 

'Regular' Asami wouldn't have admitted that so effortlessly, but four glasses down of white wine Asami would. She mentally gave herself a back pat at that. 

"Oh. Well, I'm here to talk now If you're still up for it."

"I am." She laid her back down on her bed to stare up at the ceiling. She slowly counted the crystals that hang from the tiny chandelier while feeding into the conversation. "What were you doing when I called? Sleeping?"

"Nope. I was at Bolin's place helping him with this new project he got. I just got home and showered like ten minutes ago. Honestly though, I didn't see your call earlier. I would have answered if I did."

Asami sighed with a loving smile appearing on her face. She crossed her ankles. "Good to know. Are you not tired, though?"

"Not really. We were supposed to be working on a project, but Bolin and I got a bit carried away with his video games so I'm still pretty energized from that. It wasn't until Opal called to check on us that we got back on track."

"That sounds like fun." She soon envied Bolin for being able to spend so much time with Korra that day. If only her work didn't take her over, Asami could have been with her. 

She really did miss her.

"Korra?" She spoke up after a few seconds of silence. A knot in the pit of her stomach began to grow as she fiddled with her fingers and bit her bottom lip.

"Yeah?"

"Do you have work tomorrow?"

"Yes, unfortunately."

"Oh." Asami ducked her head down to watch her hands move.

"You sound disappointed." Korra chuckled into the phone. The sound made Asami smile again. Her laugh didn't last long enough.

"Well yeah. I was going to ask if you ... if it'd be okay if-"

"You want me to come over?" Korra finished her sentence for her. Asami could picture the cocky grin on her face.

"Yes." She shut her eyes as if it would relieve her of some of the embarrassment she was experiencing. "I know it's super late and you have work in the morning and I'm just being annoyi-" 

"I'll be over in thirty minutes, Asami."

"Wait, what?" Lifting her body up to hover over her phone on the nightstand.

"I'm getting out of my bed as we speak."

"No wait, Korra, you don't have t-"

"Do you not want me to come over?"

Asami paused for a second at the accusation. _Not_ seeing Korra was the exact opposite of what she truly desired. 

"No. I- I want you to."

"And I want to, too. So what's the problem? I'll call in sick tomorrow, or something. I haven't taken a personal day in awhile, anyways. Varrick won't care." 

"But I have work as well."

"Geez, if you don't really want me there then say it, green eyes." She heard Korra laugh as things ruffled around from the other side of the call. Asami was used to her jokes, but that one hurt a little. 

"You know that's not true." She took a deep breath. "I'll take a sick day, too."

"Wait seriously?"

"I am the boss after all. It's not like anyone could tell me 'no'."

"I guess that does have its perks." Korra released a soft chuckle. "What about your dad, the 'real boss'? He won't say anything?"

"My dad knows how much stress I'm put under at times. Plus today I actually had an insanely frustrating day so a day off after that would be really nice."

She quickly imagined what her and Korra would do during their excused time off just to spend it with each other. Another smile formed on her lips.

"Sounds good to me then. I'm getting some stuff together right now. I'll let you know when I'm close."

"Okay. I'll see you soon."

The line went dead. Asami continued to stare up at the chandelier in awe of their conversation. Also the fact that Korra would get up at one in the morning just to see her. She was going to call out of work just to be with her. 

Neither of the gestures would seem like that big of a deal in someone else's eyes, but in Asami's, it certainly was.

* * *

"Were you drinking?" 

Asami looked to what was being pointed at. She forgot that she left a bottle of wine clearly out in the open on the kitchen counter. She scratched her cheek and walked over to the bottle to put it away properly on the alcohol rack. 

"Possibly. I told you my day was really long." She turned around to see Korra sit on the edge of the island counter with her legs slightly swinging back and forth. Asami thought to herself how adorable she looked in that position.

Korra licked her lips briefly which caught Asami's attention. "Tell me about it."

"Wait, about what?" She shook her head to stop herself from staring at Korra's lips.

"Your day, Asami." 

"Oh!" She chirped a little too loud from shame. "Nothing much happened. Like I said, it was just pretty frustrating." 

"Go on. I like hearing you talk." The compliment hit Asami like a strong gust of wild. Her stomach twisted and turned while the heat from her neck made its way to her cheeks. She didn't even bother to hide her blush. Instead, she walked closer to Korra with a grin on her face. Asami placed her hands on Korra's lap and spread them open so she could walk between them. The look on Korra's face was priceless, and it made her green eyes go dark for a moment. 

She had no idea what possessed her to create this position; maybe it was the wine still running through her system. But it's not like either of them minded. Their faces were very close to each others. Korra stared down at Asami with wide eyes when she felt her hands begin to slowly make shapes on her thighs. 

"Well, from the beginning," Asami finally started. "I had to watch a test run of one of our newest car models and that was shit. Then I had two meetings with these women from some company who didn't know how to stop talking." Korra chuckled at Asami's eye roll. "Then I had some short phone calls, a document to read that my assistant ended up taking from me anyways, another meeting, and some things to fix on the car design. Then I came home, drank some wine and now all of the sudden you're here." 

A silence grew between them after the rundown, which left Asami confused. Something changed in Korra's eyes. They were squinted and looked more focused. Seconds later, Korra moved her hand up to play with a loose strand of Asami's hair beside her face, then tucked it behind her ear. 

Time seemed to have slowed down for them. Everything was still as they locked eye contact and didn't dare to break it. Their heart beats equally quickened and eventually synced up. Korra leaned her head down and their noses brushed against each other. The two business women giggled quietly, then got serious again when Asami bit her bottom lip. That was all Korra needed to close the remaining distance between their lips. 

It was warm. The kiss was one of the most gentle things that Asami had ever endured. It wasn't hot, nor aggressive, and it was clear that it wasn't going to go there either. It was similar to when she had kissed Korra at the reservation a few nights ago, _before_ they got carried away. This time, there was no rush behind it; just them creating another memory. Asami sighed, her eyelids fluttering. She wanted them to stay there for as long as she could. But as quick as the kiss started, Asami felt the familiar lips pull away. 

She kept her eyes closed as if it would be easier to savior the feeling this way. She didn't know how many seconds had passed before she opened them again. Her favorite blue eyes looked down at her with an unreadable look. 

"So, why'd you really want me over?" The sound of her voice interrupted her studies. 

"Oh, so I can't enjoy spending time with you now?"

"No, obviously you can. I am a pretty amazing person to waste their tuesday night with." 

"You're so full of yourself." She shook her head, still recovering from the haze.

"Damn right. I probably get it from my dad."

"I've been told."

"Who told?"

"You're mother." Asami gave a sly look with a head tilt.

"Next time you're with my parents I'd rather not have you two gang up on me."

That was something that created a lump in Asami's throat. It was nothing huge of course. A simple friend saying that they wanted her to meet with her parents again.

But who was she kidding?

Korra was no friend. 

"Next time?" She said at last.

"Uh, yeah? Anyway, you got anything to eat, green eyes? I'm starving." Korra gently pushed Asami backwards and hopped off of the island, making sure to not make eye contact. "Bolin's place is always empty because he eats the shit so fast." 

She crossed her arms and her mouth shifted into a grin at the sudden nervousness from Korra. Asami watched her maneuver around her kitchen with ease. She knew where everything was just from the top of her head, and that for some reason made Asami happy. 

* * *

They lazily spread out on Asami's bed about an hour and a half later; Korra's head was at the foot with Asami's at the head. They managed to somehow make a pizza at one in the morning and succeeded, then decided on watching a movie while eating their dish. Though the two were both big fans of horror while together, Korra suggested a kids movie instead. 

Korra would sometimes playfully kick Asami's head with her foot, Asami would slap her leg down, and they'd laugh. However, she'd been strangely quiet for awhile. Asami just assumed that she was into the movie, which she found pretty cute, until Korra spoke up in a lower tone.

"Hey, Asami?"

She hummed and looked away from the film to pay attention to Korra. Her attitude had visibly changed. She sat up from her position to move to sit next to Asami and lean against the headboard with her.

"Do you remember that one conversation we had a couple months ago?" She started.

Asami laughed quietly. "We talk about a lot of things, Korra. Mind being more specific?"

"It was when you said that getting into a relationship seemed dumb; like a waste of time."

"Oh." She had to think for a second, but recalled the talk. "Yeah I remember."

It took a minute for her to go on. "Do you ... still think that way?"

That was the million dollar question there. The question that Asami had been avoiding for months. Her and Korra were similar and more ways than countable, but they had their differences. Korra liked answers. Asami didn't have them.

"I'm not sure." A hesitated response.

"Okay." Korra grabbed one of the small pillows from behind her and tugged on it in her lap while staring at it. The action slightly worried Asami. She was about to ask if anything was wrong, but was interrupted. "And do you remember what I told you?"

"Um ... no?"

She sighed. "I said that you just needed to actually find the right person and it'd be different. Then you asked me if I've ever experienced that and I said no."

There was quietness before another sentence was spoken by Korra.

"I lied."

Asami watched her expressions more carefully at this point, trying to study her face but it was impossible to tell what was going on in her mind. "What do you mean?"

"I lied ... about not finding the right person yet." 

"I'm afraid I'm not following."

"Spirits. Fuck, Asami!" Korra shouted. She squeezed her eyes shut. It looked like she was angry and it confused Asami to no end. "I can't believe I'm about to this out loud. This is so incredibly embarrassing." 

"Korra-"

"I have feelings for you, Asami!" Korra blurted out the statement so quickly that Asami could hardly catch it herself. But she did. Korra continued to stare down at the pillow she clutched in her arms as she went on. 

"Like, really _fucking_ _strong_ feelings that I don't think will go away anytime soon, and I don't want them to. And since I'm letting everything out now, let me just say that you are _all_ that I think about. I mean it. It's impossible for you to leave my mind and for so long I had no idea what it meant. But then you let me kiss you the night before my birthday, and then we kept kissing after that so I just-" She took a _very_ deep breath but went on, "I caught real feelings. Realer than anything else I've experienced. I'm not sure that you'll ever understand how much you mean to me. The way I feel about you only seems to grow everytime you text me or we hang out. It's a large possibility that you may just be kissing me because it feels good or whatever but for me it's different."

Korra paused for a moment, seemingly giving Asami time to process anything. Her mind short circuited. 

"I don't know where I'm going with all of this, or what I plan on gaining once I stop rambling, but I seriously just needed to let that out. Honestly, there's still a lot of shit that I have to say but can't right now. I know that this kind of stuff isn't necessarily something that you're comfortable with but it's been eating me up for a long tim-"

"Are you done?"

"Wh- what?" She spun her head to look at Asami. Her eyes were wide and you could almost tell that they were more watery than usual. Asami's entire body jolted when their eyes met. She felt all of her confused emotions running towards her and crashing harshly against her heart.

Trying her best to keep calm without jumping off of the walls was more of a challenge than anything else. "Are you done talking?" She repeated. 

"Well, truthfully no but I can be done if you want me to be." Korra's facial expressions softened, along with her voice. She turned away to look back at the pillow, clutching it even tighter. "Was that too much? Spirits I am the biggest idiot ever. I'm so sorry, Asami. Now you're gonna hate me and I probably just made things worse for you and even more confusing. This is why I should keep my mouth shut. A part of me knew that this would all go wrong but I still had to have that little optimistic side that overpowers everything. You have no idea how annoying the little angel on my shoulder can be."

Silent for about a long, _too_ _long_ , minute. It felt like the bedroom was getting smaller and smaller each time either women took another breath.

"Are you ... gonna say anything?" Korra looked up at her again with hopeful eyes. You could tell that her cheeks were flushed. 

"I'm just making sure you're done talking."

"Why?"

She licked her lips, sliding her hand on to Korra's cheek. It made both of their breaths hitch at the same time and their cheeks heated. They both looked over each other with need written all over their faces. 

Asami rid of any fears that clawed at her and allowed herself to say one last thing in a breathy but sure tone. 

"So I can kiss you." 


	17. chapter seventeen

A sharp moan left Korra's mouth, sending shivers down Asami's spine. Asami gasped and easily slipped her hand under Korra's shirt. She gripped her bare waist tightly, then arched her back off of the bed so hers was closer to Korra's. Their lips moved in a smooth melody, at times casually biting the other's. Korra's skin was practically on fire. The strong heat radiated throughout her entire body which also mixed with Asami's warmth. 

It was all driving her crazy.

The roaming hands, the energy between them sending shocks to her finger tips, Asami's body underneath hers, the tight grip they had on each other, their grinding hips that bucked and begged more friction. 

Asami's other hand dragged through Korra's soft locks of hair. She was almost pushing Korra's head down so their lips could be in even more contact, if possible. Korra then put their kissing to a halt as she moved to Asami's neck. She bite at a certain spot, causing Asami's body to slightly jerk and she bit her lower lip. She continued to message Asami's sweet spot with her mouth until she decided on double stimulation. Korra ran her hands up Asami's side until she was able to slowly message her breast through her, albeit, quite _thin_ tank top and lace bra.

They've never gotten this far, so Korra checked quickly to to see if Asami was okay with the new step. And it was definitely the latter. 

She loved this. She loved having the pleasure of making Asami feel good. Her moans were nothing less than beautiful. Korra wanted to bring that look to her face as many times as she could in the future; Asami's eyes tightly shut, her mouth in either an o-shape or biting her lower lip, her eyebrows knitted together.

This was pleasure for her in itself. It was far more addicting than any substance she could think of. Their hips met again and Korra's pulse quickened.

"Shit, Korra." A soft moan, almost a beg, left pale lips and sigh followed. Goosebumps appeared on Korra's forearms instantly. She smirked against Asami's neck and kept doing exactly what she was doing. 

Korra then felt the hand tracing her stomach move to her back and pull her body down more. Asami's movements clearly had a mind of their own; she began to tug on the shirt that was clearly in her way. Korra wanted nothing more than to rip it off, than to rip off _all_ of the clothing that was in between them and let Asami have her way with her, but she knew better.

She pulled away from Asami's neck and attempted to get her attention.

"Asami." Korra breathed. The pounding between her legs nearly made her mind go completely blank. Letting anything out of her mouth besides a moan was a challenge itself.

The woman underneath her finally opened her eyes and hummed. It was hard for Korra to even remember what she was about to say. Asami's heavy panting and rising chest was highly distracting, but she found her words somehow.

"What exactly is this? What's going on?"

"What do you mean?"

"No. No, please don't play oblivious with me." Korra crawled off of Asami to put herself in a sitting criss-crossed position, which Asami followed in a few seconds after. Korra looked down to her lap instead of making eye contact and continued.

"I just spilled my heart out to you like twenty minutes ago; everything I've been feeling and thinking for the past few months, and then you just kissed me and we started ... well, that." She fiddled with her fingers and licked her bottom lip. "I know it may seem weird to you but, I need some kind of clearer confirmation than us making out."

An uncomfortable silence for a long three seconds. 

"I don't want to just make out with you all of the time because of pleasure." 

"I know. I know, and I'm genuinely so sorry for this." Asami's voice was filled with sincerity.

"Sorry for what?" Korra brought herself to meet her favorite pair of green eyes.

Asami seemed to be mentally stumbling over herself. She clasped her hands together and set them on the bottom of her chin, taking in a small breath. "I- it's just ... hard."

"What's hard? Why can't you just talk me? It's _me_." Korra reached her hand out to place it on Asami's knee, slowly and soothingly rubbing it to assure her.

"Yes, Korra, but-"

"And please don't think that I'm being insensitive, and I hope I'm not coming off as pushy either. I'm very aware that you're not really used to stuff like this, but still." She paused. "I don't like being so confused."

"You think I do?" There was a change of tone; it was sharp and filled with frustration. Korra pulled her hand away to put it back in her own lap.

"What? I never said that!" She defended.

They stayed quiet for a while, both thinking to themselves about what to possibly say next.

"I just don't get what the problem is." 

"The problem is that it's _you_!" Asami spat out. The confession stung Korra, and her defenses and walls were quickly put up. 

"What's that supposed to mean?" She shot back. Her eyes roamed all around Asami's figure.

"I don't even know how to explain it."

"Well, can you at least try?" Korra tried to search her face momentarily, but came across nothing but an unreadable expression. "Please. I want to understand you." 

"I've never ... been with anyone like the that way you may want. It's new and a lot to work with, and slightly terrifying."

"You're scared of me?"

"No of course not. That's not what I meant. I'm trying to say that," Asami took a short breath and began to slowly stroke a strand of her own hair that had fallen in front of her face. "I've been at a constant battle with myself ever since your birthday, and maybe even before that. The thought of being so _close_ with someone like that is what's so terrifying; that part has nothing to do with you." 

"So what does? Why am _I_ specifically a problem?" Korra continued to question. Her fear of prying became nonexistent all of the sudden.

"Because I don't want things to get messed up. You yourself said that you've had a couple of bad relationships. If we get involved or whatever, I don't want to just be one of your past experiences that went down the drain."

Relationships. The word spilling out of Asami's mouth set off a second long flutter in Korra's stomach when it was used in this context. Though it wasn't in the best way, she ignored that.

"Who gives a shit about my past experiences? This is different." 

Asami bit her lip. "If anything goes wrong and I end up losing you somehow, I won't even know what to do with mysel-"

"You're not ever going to _lose_ me, Asami." The fact that Asami genuinely thought that made Korra chuckle unbelievably. "I thought I made that clear ages ago, guess not."

"Not the time for jokes, maybe." Asami said.

"Uh yeah, sorry." She scratched her cheek awkwardly and looked back down to her lap. Her heart rate was picking up again. "Look, I'm not trying to pressure you into doing or saying anything that you're not ready for, Asami. I guess I just figured that ..."

"Figured what?"

She sighed. "Well, that you might _actually_ have feelings for me." 

Korra could feel Asami tense from the few inches that parted them. She knew what she was saying shouldn't be said, but a large part of her didn't care, so she continued.

"Yeah, a pretty dumb fantasy now that I think about it; considering that you keep kissing me and doing all of these grand gestures for me. Maybe I read into those wrong, though, or too deeply."

At that point, words were falling out of her mouth before she could even process them. 

"Korra-"

Korra stood from the bed, feeling that they were closer than she could handle. She moved to lean against the end of the bedpost and cupped her hands on the top of it.

"You don't even do relationship shit, anyway." Korra went on. "I have no idea what was going through my head. I seriously should have just kept my mouth shut and got over this _stupid_ fucking crush on my own time. But no, I had to let it all out and get myself hurt." She let out a forced smile that couldn't fool anyone. "Funny, because that's what you've been scared of but in reality I was the one to experience it."

Asami had been rendered speechless. Korra's blue eyes unintentionally sent her daggers from where she was standing. She swore that she could hear her own heart beat, and feel the sweat building up on the inside of her fisted palms. The large room suddenly felt far too small for the both of them to be in there at the same time.

Korra chuckled sharply, then shook her head and broke their painful gaze. She picked up the small bag that she had brought - which contained the stuff that she would need for the night.

"Anyways, since you still have nothing to say, I'm gonna use the bathroom. That okay with you?" Korra's tone was unfamiliar, even to herself.

"Um ..." Asami's words were more of an inaudible croak rather than an actual statement of approval. "Y-yeah of course."

Korra nodded her head and made her way over to Asami's bedroom door rather than her bathroom one.

"Wait, where are you going?" Asami spoke up, quickly slipping off of the bed while. She wrapped her arms around her troso to hug her cold body. 

"To use the one in the guest bedroom next to yours."

"Why?"

"Cause I'm gonna sleep there tonight." She sounded so sure, but in her head, she was begging for Asami to just help her understand.

Asami shifted uncomfortable, looking back to her bed while rubbing up the sides of her arms. "But you don't have to. You always sleep in my bed when you stay over."

"Yeah, but I think being in a different room for the rest of the night will be much better for me." 

_Stop talking, Korra._

"Oh, okay." Asami pushed out.

Korra nodded one last time and turned for the door. She walked out quickly and quietly with heavy shoulders. She found herself blinking once, twice, then in a rapid pattern as a single tear rolled down her cheek.

* * *

Asami had been such an idiot. 

She was so busy wrapped up in her own confusion, that considering Korra's feelings had never even been an idea. She for some reason just assumed that everything would be okay with Korra. Asami called herself an idiot for not having the brains to think logically. 

Her own selfishness _hurt_ Korra. That was far from anything that she wanted. She wanted to be the person to shower Korra with the affection and care that she deserved, but she just couldn't.

Asami was angry with herself, and most of all frustrated and embarrassed. All she had to do was get over her pointless 'fear' and just tell Korra how she truly felt. How she _knew_ she felt. 

She contemplated on whether or not to visit Korra in the other room, listing out the pros and cons in her head before making any decisions.

Pros; she steps up and confesses how she feels, Korra is happy, she is happy, they kiss and spend an amazing day together, then they see how things go from there.

Cons; Korra doesn't even want to see her for the rest of the night and her visit ends up making things worse.

That thought alone was enough to convince her to sit back on her bed instead of choosing the other option. 

The next time she blinked, her vision went blurry. She didn't even bother trying to hold back the tears that made their way out. Asami hugged herself tighter and slightly hunched over. She was crying, no, practically _sobbing_. The salty tears made her face damp and they began to make her eyes sting. 

She cursed at herself for already messing things up. All she wanted was to be the right person for Korra, but she couldn't even admit to her own feelings herself. It was sad and pathetic. She should have listened to everyone else; to Mako, Kai, Wu, Alicia, and even Bolin and Opal who hinted at it once or twice. 

Asami kept crying. She cried more than she even thought she did. She cried until it physically hurt to let anything else out. Asami sniffled again, then lifted her comforter to snuggle herself inside of it. She laid down on her side, still holding her own torso, and shut her eyes tightly. 

She missed the familiar warmth that she should have been cuddled up to tonight. If she hadn't been such a coward, she could of had Korra wrapped in her arms by now, or vise versa. She didn't care how but as long as they were close she thought everything would be okay. But it wasn't.

_You hurt Korra._

She kept telling herself that mentally, as if it was a reminder of how awful of a person she was. That was her last thought before sleep took her over; about two hours later, though.

* * *

Asami's eyelids fluttered open with a burning feeling behind them. The memories from just a few hours ago flooded her head immediately. She rubbed her eyes and reached over to her bed side table to grab her phone. The device told her that it was nine in the morning. She fell asleep around four am. Getting a small amount of hours of sleep wasn't something unusual to her, but this time it was because of something different and honestly more important than some project for work.

"Oh, shit." She quickly remembered that she hadn't told Alicia or her father that she'd be out for the day. Thankfully it was still early, so she hurriedly sent a message to the both of them saying that she wasn't feeling too well. Her father replied with a concerned message, but Asami assured him that she would be fine. 

Asami then stood from her bed and made her way to her bathroom. Flicking on the lights, she looked into the long mirror. Just as she expected, she was a mess. Her eyes were almost a light pink and puffy, her face was dry and stained from the tears, and her hair was a bit tangled. She groaned and gripped her palms on the cold sink.

She wondered if it was time to try and speak with Korra, but she knew her friend too well. Of course Korra wouldn't be awake for another few hours at the least. Asami then picked up her phone and scrolled through her recent phone calls, then clicked on the person who understood her best when it came to this particular situation. The call rang for a few seconds until he answered. 

"Good morning to you." He greeted politely. 

"Hey, Mako." She put him on speaker as she began to clean herself up.

"Oh no. What could possibly be wrong? It's ten in the morning."

Her eyes widened right as she splashed water on her face. "How did you know that something's wrong?"

"One, your tone of voice is low and noticeably upset, and two, you just told me."

"Fine. Well, if you must know-"

"What happened with Korra?" He interrupted with a sure stance.

"How are you _doing_ that?"

"I just know." Mako laughed. "I'm taking the night shift tonight so I won't be busy, so I'm all ears. 

"Well that's great because I certainly need your advice on something."

"Before you start, are you even gonna consider the advice I give you?"

She stayed quiet, actually pausing in the middle of her face wash.

"Exactly." Mako stated matter-of-factly. "But I'll give it anyway. Now, continue."

Asami filled Mako in on everything that happened once Korra came over the previous night. From the innocent kiss in her kitchen, to Korra leaving her room with hopeless eyes at two in the morning. Mako listened intently; he always genuinely enjoyed drama stories like this, probably something that he picked up from Wu. 

Once she was done speaking, the line went silent. She bit her thumb finger nail in wait of a response. She was about to call for Mako's name again until he finally spoke up.

"You know what? You need to stop making yourself so damn miserable, Asami!"

"Excuse me?" His outburst took her back for a moment. 

"You know _exactly_ what i'm talking about but for some stupid, fucked up reason you don't want to admit to it." He took a long breath. Asami could envision him pinching his nose bridge in stress. "It is so obvious to _everyone_ but you that you have these _insanely_ strong feelings for Korra. I don't understand why you don't just put your pride or whatever aside and actually be with her, so you can actually be _happy_."

"Mako-"

"I don't know Korra all that way, but from what you say about her I know she's great _and_ that she's the perfect person for you. And right now, it seems like you're pushing her away for nothing. I've been letting you dance around your emotions for too long now, so my bad, I guess. Now can you please just go and talk to her to make things right instead of feeling sorry for yourself?"

Asami gripped the sink again, refusing to look at herself in the mirror or respond to Mako. He was right. Everything he was saying was more than just the truth and she felt ashamed for not coming to these conclusions on her own months ago.

"Sorry for being a little harsh, but that was the exact thing that you needed to hear. Hopefully it sent you over the edge and made her realize something." Mako spoke in a much calmer way.

"I ... it did. Thank you, Mako, honestly."

"Are you gonna go talk to her now?"

She thought for only a short moment. A promising and exciting smile appeared on her lips as she bit her lower one. "Yeah, I am."

"Finally!" He chanted quite loudly. "Tell me how it goes. I'm wishing you the best because you deserve this."

"I will. And thank you, again."

"Of course."

They talked about other things for about twenty more minutes until Wu was knocking on Mako's apartment door, so he had to go. Asami still knew that Korra wouldn't be awake yet. She spent around another hour or two in her own bedroom mindlessly watching a reality TV show wild snacking on a bowl of fruit. The entire time she thought about and planned out what to say to Korra.

* * *

Asami's hand hovered over the white, wood door in front of her. In a split second she moved from her bedroom to only be a thin surface away from Korra. She didn't want this to be any more difficult than it already was, so Asami thought back to what Mako had told her only two hours ago.

_Push your pride aside so you can actually be happy._

_So Korra can be happy._

Not another second passed when she at last knocked three times, softly. It opened, and Asami's heart skipped so many beats she swore she could have died on the spot. 

"Hey." She forced herself to speak.

"Hi."

Korra looked well enough put together. Her hair was pulled into a low ponytail and her face was clearly washed. Asami wondered how long she had been awake.

"Um, are you busy right now?" Was asked instead.

"Well no, I just called out of work for the day."

"You still called out?" The knot in her stomach tied tighter then, she smiled to Korra and herself.

"Yeah." Korra smiled back but hesitantly. "Since I would have been extremely late if I went in now, anyway."

The reasoning behind Korra taking the day off made Asami's smile disappear. 

"Right." Her face dropped. 

They were quiet for longer than wanted, both drowning in an uncomfortable silence. Everything that Asami wanted to say had suddenly vanished in her mind. The only thing she could focus on were the cold blue eyes just below her. They were narrow and solid. Korra scrunched up her face then spoke up.

"Okay ..." Korra grumbled with a sigh.

Korra attempted to slip past Asami, making her way out of the the bedroom until Asami gently grabbed her by the wrist. They locked eyes again. Asami could so obviously feel a tiny dagger slashing through her heart when Korra's face hardened at the physical contact.

"I do." Asami said surely, after a long moment of silence. 

"You do what?"

She went quiet, licking her lips all while trying to get out what she should have said last night. She gave herself a small pep talk, and then just decided to go for it. 

"Think that I have actual feelings for you."

"You _think_?" Korra wiggled her arm a bit to pull out of Asami's grasp. The action hurt Asami more than it should have. "It sounds like you're just saying that so I don't get upset, which I'm not."

She was, and Asami could easily tell. Her voice was harsh.

"No, that came out wrong. I-" Asami waved her hands vehemently then dropped them to her sides in surrender. "I _know_ that I have feelings for you, Korra. I'm being serious."

"Wait, I'm sorry, what?" Korra fluttered her eyelids as if trying to take in her surroundings once more.

"Did I ... say something wrong?"

"No. I'm just-"

"Surprised?" Asami suggested. 

"Uh, a little." She laughed quietly. "I basically stayed up all night convincing myself that you _didn't_ feel the same way."

"Don't doubt me so much." 

"Sorry, but can you really blame me?"

Asami bit her lip in embarrassment then forced a smile. "I guess not."

"Before you say anything else," Asami started again with dazed yet serious eyes. "I've never really been the person to see themselves with anyone. You know that things like this have never been easy for me. But if that were to be the case; me seeing myself with someone ... it would be with you." She took in a breath. "What i'm trying and failing miserably at saying is that ..."

"Yeah?" Korra encouraged hopefully.

"I- I want to be with you, Korra. Like _be_ with you. When I think about you, it's much more different than when I think about anyone else. You make me _feel_ something. It's the most terrifying yet greatest feeling I've ever experienced. And honestly, I don't want to let it go. I don't want to let _you_ go."

The amount of sincerity that was leaving her mouth left her momentarily stunned. She would have never pictured herself to be in a situation like this one; spilling all of her serious, romantic feelings out to someone else. She felt like she was on her knees grobbling.

But the one thing that kept her going was that she wasn't just spilling out her feelings to anymore, it was to Korra. That fact alone made it all the more pleasant but also unpleasant at the same time.

"I hope you understand what I mean because I don't think I'm making much sense right now anyway." Asami blushed.

"I understand you." Korra said after a couple of seconds. Asami smiled brightly and noticed that her fingers stop nervously fiddling with each other. 

"Thank spirits."

"Alright, so ... um-"

"No more talking now." Asami cut her off immediately. 

Asami wrapped her hands around Korra's cheeks and pulled her into a soft kiss. Korra kissed her back with an equal amount of energy, both of them practically melting into each other's touch. Korra slowly moved her hands to grip Asami's waist and pull her closer, their bodies now pressed firmly against the other's.

Asami tried to pour out everything that she felt, everything that she chose to bottle up, into that kiss. Admitting the stuff that she could was difficult and hard to word properly, so she could only hope that Korra would fully understand what she truly meant with the kiss. 

They stayed like this for several more drawn-out seconds. It was obvious that neither one wanted to break away, but there was still more to be said between the two. Asami reluctantly released their lips but still kept Korra's body as close to hers as she could - afraid that Korra would slip away from her again.

She gazed back at those beautiful blue eyes and couldn't help but be happy. Finally happy, just as Mako said. Asami took one of Korra's loose strands of hair and tucked it behind her ear, causing Korra to give her famous slanted grin at the gesture. It made her heart fly. 

"Just saying, that was all really hard for me to accept and say out loud. So you're pretty special." She tried a joke.

"Then I'm proud of you. Seriously, I am. And not just because it benefited me." 

"You're hilarious." Asami playfully glared. She felt the unnecessary nerves leaving her body faster than expected. 

"I know." Korra smiled. "And one more thing."

"Don't say you're about to propose." 

"No of course not!" Korra's eyes widened. She set herself back for a second before recollecting herself after the accusation. "Um, I was actually going to _apologize_ for my sort of outburst last night."

"I'm not exactly sure why you're saying sorry."

"Because I was being was childish and hot headed and a quite frankly, a little embarrassing."

Korra's eyes darted away. Asami cracked a smile at her self-consciousness. It was adorable.

"I was the one who was being confusing, though, and stubborn with my own self. You had every right to be upset. I was sending mixed signals to protect myself." She shook her head. "I hardly even thought about how _you_ were feeling."

"But it's not really your fault. For so long you've resented this kind of stuff and then I come out of nowhere and just poured a bunch of shit on you then acted out when I didn't get a clear answer."

"We both made things a bit harder than they should have been. It's different now, though."

"Yeah." Korra said as she fell closer into Asami's hold on her. "So you're not scared of anything bad happening?"

"No I definitely still am. This will take some getting used to."

"Understandable." 

"However," She carried on. "Like I said, I'm not scared of being in some traumatizing uh, thing, I just really don't want things to go bad with us."

"Neither do I, obviously. And they won't."

She bit her lip, something she usually found herself doing when Korra made her nervous. Asami shook her head lightly. "You can't make promises like that." 

"But I can." Korra protested strongly. "And _you_ can't start off something that's going to be great with doubts or second thoughts. Remember when I told you not to push someone away that could be good for you?"

Asami nodded.

"I guess I was subconsciously talking about me." A very light shade of red formed on her cheeks and the tip of her ears. She closed her eyes and kept them shut for about two seconds, then opened them and showed Asami her yearning look. "Please don't push me away, Asami."

"I won't." She stated. And that was one of the only times in her life where was was three hundred percent certain on something.

Korra smiled in admiration. Asami leaned down a bit to press her forehead against Korra's. She moved her hands to grab Korra's, and had their fingers intertwine. A shock of electricity ran through her hands up to her arms. 

"Spirits, we are so dramatic." Asami whispered with a giggle. 

"Of course we are."

"Is this usually how you start off with being with someone?"

"Honestly, not at all." Korra answered." Usually we'd go on a few dates and just assume we liked each other so then we'd 'get together'. It's never been anything so important or a big deal to me."

_Dates._

"Is this important or a big deal to you?"

"You're forgetting the way I poured my heart out to you last night. That I can say has never happened." Korra reflected. 

"So in a way, this is kind of new for you, as well."

"Yeah, I guess so."

Her heart soared.

"Good. Now, we are _finally_ on the same page." She continued to whisper, but more to herself than to Korra. 

Asami let go of Korra's hands to pull her in for a tight hug. They wrapped their arms around each other, Asami placing her head on top of Korra's while the latter snuggled her head in between Asami's neck and shoulder. 

She loved this. She wanted to stay like this; so close to her favorite person. Things were finally right between them. She told herself a million times over to not let her fear or pride take over again. This could and _will_ be something great. Asami was sure of it. 


	18. chapter eighteen

"I was thinking about visiting Naga again, by the way." Korra started up a new conversation after she took her second bite of her third piece of french toast for the morning.

After Asami's confession, and most if not all of the dramatic flames were finally put out, the two women decided on starting off the day with a good breakfast. Asami first insisted on ordering from one of her favorite diners, but Korra was more than eager for other plans. She ended up making the both of them an amazing meal; she with french toast, bacon, and scrambled eggs, and Asami with a smoothie, fruit bowl, and an everything bagel.

It's safe to say that Asami was _more_ than impressed with Korra's skills in the kitchen. After Korra finished up placing their meals on the breakfast table, Asami even went far enough to give her a light kiss on the cheek. It's not like they haven't done anything more than that - because they certainly have - but the action was more soft and showed appreciation. The feel of Asami's lips made Korra physically freeze momentarily, before her neck and cheeks heated and she began to stumble around the kitchen for a few minutes following.

It was nice, though. Korra liked it. She liked moving around Asami's kitchen so freely in the morning and making them breakfast while Asami simply watched her steps in admiration. She liked sitting down at a table with Asami as they dug into their meals in a comfortable silence. She liked being able to glance up at Asami every few minutes (seconds) and create a blush on the other woman's face. 

Ever since they managed to define their undefined 'relationship' only about two hours prior, a small thing like this seemed to have an entirely different meaning. It was definitely something that she wanted to get used to, but truthfully, Korra didn't think that she ever would.

"Really? That's great." Asami's voice was more monotoned than Korra had expected it to sound. 

"You don't sound impressed."

"Well, I'm just confused on why you haven't adopted her already." She stuck her fork in her fruit bowl, popping a red grape into her mouth. "Someone is gonna take her if you wait any longer, Korra."

"I know, I know. It's just a big step. Having a pet, a dog specifically, is a lot of work and requires a lot of responsibility."

"So what is it; you don't think you're responsible?" Asami questioned with a smirk.

"I never said that, green eyes. I like to think I am." Korra smirked back with an equal amount of power. "But still, I wanna do what's best for her."

Korra took another few bites of her french toast, finishing off that piece and taking a long sip of her orange juice. She was about to move back to her bacon strips before they got cold, but noticed that Asami still hadn't responded to her comment. She looked back up to see green eyes staring at her, _piercing_ through her, as if they had so much to say. Asami's lips were plump and slightly parted, and Korra really did have to stop herself from leaning over the small table to make contact with them.

Instead, she gave her nervous, crooked grin. "What?"

"Oh, nothing it's just," Asami shook her head then bit her lower lip. "I don't think I've ever seen someone put _this_ much thought into getting _a_ _dog_. Usually it's just a one, two, three step process."

"I mean yeah I guess." Korra could barely help herself with hiding her own embarrassment. She broke their eye contact and shoved a piece of bacon in her mouth in order to stop her stupid grinning. Even though she swore that Asami could hear her heart beating. 

"I like seeing you care so much, though. It's kind of .." Asami trailed off in search of the perfect word.

"Attractive?" Korra suggested, regaining her confidence.

"Uh, um sure. As I was saying," It was Asami's turn to stumble over her own thoughts. "I'd like to convince you on finally bringing her home. She deserves a real place and I think that you'd be an amazing owner for her."

"Don't flirt with me so much."

"I am not! Stop being so cocky!" Korra only chuckled at the demand and took another bite of her breakfast. Asami sighed while crumpling up a napkin. "Anyways, are you gonna do it?"

"I don't really need much convincing, so I think I will. I'll call Suki tomorrow and tell her we'll be there for Naga next weekend."

"We?" 

"Oh! I'm sorry, I just assumed that, you know, you'd maybe wanna pick her up with me. But if you're not free or you don't want to then you obviously don't have t-"

"Korra." Asami displayed a delicious smile. "You're rambling."

"Sorry." She darted her eyes away in embarrassment.

"Don't apologize." The other woman chuckled. "Of course I'll be there, though. I'm already putting in on my mental calendar." 

"Okay, perfect then; it's settled." Korra finalized, and they dug back in to finish their breakfast.

The teasing, making the other nervous and vice versa with every other sentence, the casual conversation about a big step, it was all amazing. It made Korra much happier than she could have imagined. 

* * *

When breakfast was finished, they went to the main living room and simply decided on watching some movies. They were only about forty minutes into the first Divergent movie before Asami was completely passed out. Korra didn't mind though, not at all. It benefited her in a way.

They weren't cuddling on the couch when the movie began, but gradually they somehow moved closer together to where Asami's shins crossed over Korra's and their shoulders touched. When Asami began to doze off, her head fell on to Korra's shoulder. It fit there perfectly; nestled right into Korra's neck. It made her body heat up for a moment, but she thankfully calmed herself down, but she still didn't dare to move. She thought that the slightest movement would wake Asami. 

Korra stared down at the heiress. She watched her chest go up and down slowly, and felt her warm breath leave the small part of her lips. Asami looked beautiful, but anyone could have said or thought that. A million thoughts came to Korra's mind when she was finally given the chance to think freely, but one circled around her brain the most. Her brows furrowed together in confusion and frustration.

_How could she possibly have feelings for me?_

Korra then noticed how Asami shifted and her hair tie began to fall out. Moving her arms slowly, very careful to keep Asami sleeping, she removed the tie completely and then bunched Asami's hair up again. She gave her friend another pony tail to keep the hair out of her face while she slept. Though the style wasn't too neat considering their position, Korra was still proud of herself.

The movie ended, but Korra just started up the second one because she was genuinely interested in the series. She watched intently while also watching Asami at the same time. Korra's arm managed to reach around Asami's shoulders and pulled her body closer. 

Sometime during the second film, Asami stirred and grumbled. She was waking up and Korra didn't even notice. Asami's eyelids fluttered open and she got a good look of her surroundings, quickly realizing whose body she was pressed into. She tilted her head up to look at Korra who was in deep focus on the movie. Asami leaned up and quickly left a gentle kiss on her cheek and snuggled back into her previous position.

Korra's head whipped around quickly at the contact as she tried to ignore her heart rate picking up.

"Asami?" She whispered, unsure if she imagined it or not. 

Asami didn't respond, she only smiled to herself. Korra caught that smile and copied it.

* * *

The elevator door opened nearly three minutes after Korra pressed on the button, but it was still way too soon. She wanted - _needed_ \- more time with Asami. She didn't want this day to end; for both women to return to their normal busy schedules by the next morning. Korra enjoyed nothing more than spending the day as just the two of them, locked up in Asami's house and being able to ignore the outside world. 

"When am I seeing you again?" Asami spoke up with some concern in her voice.

"Whenever you want, Asami." She responded a bit too eagerly.

Korra had it bad.

"You know I'd like to see you all the time," Asami folded her arms over her chest and leaned her body against the wall behind her. "But work and just _everything_ has been awful recently."

" _Everything_? I hope you don't mean me."

"No of course not. You're one of the only good things." The confession seemed to slip out of Asami's mouth before she could think. Her eyes went to the floor and she began to slid her foot against the light wood.

"Thanks." Korra said awkwardly. 

They stayed standing in the foyer room in complete silence. Although it was nothing near uncomfortable, it certainly wasn't the most comfortable either. Korra shifted, stuffing her hands into the pockets of her sweatpants. 

"Okay so ... I uh, should get going I guess. Before the elevator closes and leaves."

"Yeah ... I guess." Asami stuttered afterwords. She bit her bottom lip briefly, but of course it caught Korra's eye.

Korra nodded and turned around fully to face the elevator. The doors just stayed open, basically telling her to get inside already, but she didn't want to. However, it was already past eight pm, and she really needed to go because of work the next day. Korra was about to take a few steps to leave, but her favorite voice called out.

"Korra."

She turned back around instantly. Asami left the wall she was leaned against and made her way closer to Korra, her body just slightly towering over the shorter woman. Korra's breath hitched.

"I feel like I'm missing something." Asami uttered with wondering eyes.

"What do you mean?"

"I- I'm not sure. Just feels like we're forgetting something ..." 

Korra looked up at the woman with a puzzled expression. Quickly, she mentally checked to make sure that she'd put everything she brought over back into her bag. Korra's attention was brought back by Asami tongue gliding over her bottom lip for a short second, then she felt _Asami's_ eyes on her lips. A small lightbulb went off in her head, but her body tensed a bit.

"Asami Sato," She huffed, stepping even closer to the taller woman with a smirk. "Could you possibly be asking for a goodbye kiss?"

Asami's eyes widened. "Don't- don't make me more embarrassed than I already am."

Korra's heat swooned as she thought about how truly precious Asami was. The faint pink tint on her cheeks played even more into the conclusion.

"There's nothing to be embarrassed about." Korra assured.

Her hands left her pockets; one of them going up to Asami's hair as she tucked a loose strand behind her ear, the other sliding on to Asami's cheek. In almost slow motion, Korra began to lean forward. A bundle of air clogged her lungs. Korra then stopped in her path for a moment to make sure that this was what Asami really wanted. Asami smiled softly. Said woman unfolded her arms and placed them on Korra's lower back to bring her closer. Now, both of their bodies were pushed up against the other's; their breaths and heart beats mingled. 

Korra finally closed the distance between them.

Her soft lips brushed against Asami's and they both instantly closed their eyes. Asami happily tilted her head into the kiss. Both women first assumed that it would be a simple peck, but of course they couldn't get enough of each other. Neither of them rushed. The kiss was gentle and tender. 

Korra then pulled away. The two women opened their eyes but stayed close. Korra didn't even bother trying to hide the smile forming on her lips.

"I'll see you soon, okay?" Korra breathed, half of herself still in a strong daze from the contact. She would never get used to kissing Asami. She reluctantly let go of Asami and headed back over to the elevator, slightly surprised that it hadn't closed on her yet. 

"Okay." Asami breathed right before Korra finally stepping into the elevator.

The doors closed _mockingly_ slow to block her view of Asami. As soon as it started to go down, she let out a long sigh. She was happy. Korra was so very happy. The smile on her face easily met her ears when she thought back to their time earlier in the day, and the previous night.

 _Asami has feelings for me._ She continued to repeat to herself mentally, all the way from the elevator ride, to the subway ride, to her own apartment.

Korra _seriously_ had it bad. 

* * *

"So, let me get this straight, you've been secretly hooking up with _Asami_?!" Opal's voice was loud. Korra figured that the person in their neighboring office could easily hear their conversation. "For how long? Korra, what the _fuck_ is wrong with you?!"

"It hasn't just been hooking up it's- it's way more than that." If it wasn't for her darker skin, her cheeks would be blushed with a burning red tone. "And what do you mean 'what's wrong with you?' I'm fine."

"I _mean_ that you kissed her on your birthday, basically two whole _months_ ago, and have finally come to the realization that you have feelings for her! And _she_ has feelings for you!" 

"Uh ... so?" She cocked her head, still oblivious to what her friend was going on about.

" _So_?!" Opal slightly raised her voice again and slammed her down on to Korra's desk. "Why didn't you tell me? Or Bolin?"

"I didn't think it was mandatory?" She raised a brow. 

"Of course it's mandatory! I cannot believe that we missed so many huge steps in your relationship."

"I wasn't aware that you wanted to live vicariously through Asami and I." Korra joked, flipping through the notepad on her desk to find her reminders for next week.

_Asami and I._

Korra bit her bottom lip to contain her smile, though Opal noticed it anyways and smirked.

"Of course I want to live vicariously through you and Asami! I thought that was painfully obvious." Opal rolled her eyes in defeat. She finally reclaimed her seat in one of the two chairs in front of Korra's desk. 

"Well, then I'm sorry I didn't mention anything. I guess I just wanted to figure things out on my own, _and_ with Asami, before actually talking about it. Just in case things didn't go as planned."

And they did. Things _did_ go as planned. Though it hit a few more dramatic walls than expected, things were right where Korra wanted them to be. She could only hope that these same thoughts were on Asami's mind as well.

In fact, Korra thinking about Asami possibly thinking about _her_ made Korra's heart flutter.

"Not okay, but fair enough." Opal responded. She began to toy with one of the figurines on Korra's desk again; this one being one of the mythical hybrid animals that Korra's parents had so much interest in. 

They stayed quiet for a little while; Korra reading some emails on her desktop with Opal finally minding her own business. 

"So?" Opal started up again a few minutes later. Korra sighed, knowing she spoke too soon.

"So ..."

"How _are_ things, exactly?" She asked, basically on the edge of her seat.

"With Asami?"

"Obviously."

"Well, we only confessed yesterday, so not much has happened."

 _Yet_.

"But you literally called out of work to spend the entire day with her!" Opal called out. "You are _so_ obsessed with her."

"I am not _obsessed_ with Asami!" Korra defended herself while trying to ignore the heat engulfing the tips of her ears. "I just like her." Oapl shot her a 'yeah right' look. "A lot."

"I'm aware. So you're saying that all of yesterday you guys didn't do anything?"

"What do you mean?"

"Come on, Korra." She rolled her eyes in annoyance.

"What are you talking about?"

"Did she fuck you?" Opal's question sounded more of a statement coming out of her mouth. She said it so easily and bluntly with a wide grin on her face at Korra's changed facial expressions.

"Wh- wh- Opal!" She stuttered. At this point, her entire body felt like it was lit up in flames. She suddenly really needed to ask Varrick for personal air conditioning in her office. " _No_! No, no Asami did not ... _fuck_ _me_. _What_ is wrong with you?! Shouldn't you be getting back to your job? I should tell Varrick that you keep sneaking out to bother me about my personal life."

"I bet she fucked you." Opal continued anyways. "I bet she made you so weak in the knees that you could barely keep yourself together long enough to go for another roun-"

"What the hell goes through your mind?"

Korra debated whether or not to throw her desktop at the woman sat in front of her, but then reasoned that she'd have to buy a new one herself and they were expensive. 

"Don't worry about it." Opal said casually while picking at her fingernails. 

"I'm done talking to you about her."

Opal cocked her head and hummed to herself. "This is certainly different."

"What's different?"

"The way you're acting." She leaned back into the chair and crossed her legs, trying to read and analyze Korra. "You've never been like this about anyone else. Usually with your past relationships or whatever, you were _insanely_ eager to tell me about everything that happened. With Asami you're way more private. You were even more open about _Kuvira_! My literal _sister_ that you fucked for almost two years!"

Korra cringed at the reminder of her and Kuvira's past. "What do you want me to say; Asami's special? She's different from the other people?"

Something in her stomach twisted, but she ignored it. 

"You don't have to say it, it's been written all over your stupid face since that first night at the bar with her."

Korra was speechless. 

"Whatever." She eventually said, really wanting for this conversation to be put to an end by now. "Can you just go now?"

"No. I think I'll stay a little longer."

Korra rolled her eyes and huffed, by overall just chose to ignora Opal. She went back to the emails in front of her, responding and forwarding a few of the important ones. After another couple of minutes, Korra's phone went off with a ding, indicating that she got a text message. She reached to the end of her desk and picked up the device. A smile immediately took her over when she saw who it was from.

**are you busy right now?**

**i mean i know you're at work but when is your lunch break?**

_currently replying to hundreds of emails but my break is at 3_

_why ??_

Korra knew exactly why.

**i was wondering if you wanted to go out for lunch. there's this great salad place near your building**

It had only been less than a day since she's last seen Asami, but she already missed her as if it's been months. Korra gladly replied letting her know that the plan sounded perfect.

"Who are you talking to?" Opal's voice broke her thoughts. 

"None of your business." Korra said; half joking and half trying to come off as rude.

"I knew it! I shouldn't have even asked, considering the huge grin on your face when your phone lit up. Tell your _dearest_ Asami that I say hello!"

"Are you done mocking me? What if I teased you about your little secret thing for Boli-"

Just as she was about to go on when her phone started to ring. Asami's name was the Caller ID, and she was asking to facetime specifically. Korra grinned to herself like she was a teenager again, or a child. 

"Okay, okay. I guess I'll leave you to talk to your CEO _girlfriend_ during work hours."

"She is not my girlfriend, Opal. We literally just-"

"Asami has been your girlfriend for _months_. Don't be an idiot." 

"Leave." Korra demanded flatly with her lips in a thin line. Opal at last took the final hint and shook her head. She stood from her chair and slowly walked out of the office, almost forgetting to close the door behind her. Korra let out a breath now that she could talk to Asami in peace. She looked at herself in her desktop photo booth camera and fixed her hair quickly before the call ended. Then, she answered.

Asami's face popped up on her screen. Her eyebrows were furrowed in clear stress. Her raven hair was in a different style for once but nothing extragevent; a simple half up half down look. Korra couldn't see what her full outfit was, but she was sure that it was nothing less than presentable and professional. 

Korra almost lost her words before greeting her. 

"Hey, Asami." She got out with a small croak.

_How embarrassing._

"I hope I'm not disrupting you or anything; with your emails. I just didn't really want to sit in my office and do work alone. It is _incredibly_ boring."

Her voice is so pretty.

"Of course not." Korra said calmly.


	19. chapter nineteen

The beginning of May turned into the middle of June in almost an instant. With this time change, Asami couldn't be more loaded with work. She thought it was bad before, but now she felt like it was all turning into a huge mess, far out of her control. She'd been finding herself going back to her apartment at around midnight or one in the morning recently, and even on some days she would still have documents and emails to read and respond to. Going to sleep at a reasonable hour became pretty rare. 

Varrick and her father weren't making this any less challenging for Asami, either. Since it was the start of summer at this point, that meant that many other 'important people' with large companies would be coming to Republic City. The city was always the most alive during summer or the holidays, so it made sense that people would be coming to spend time there.

Because of this, every year for the past _seven_ years, Future Industries decides to host a grand ball, though it's only purpose is to gain more connections. 

Hiroshi Sato had always been a fan of balls and conferences and such. Asami and her father have been attending those types of events since she turned six years old. Though she was a very intelligent child for her age ( her being sent to the best private school in the area and all ) it never meant that she enjoyed these events. They actually quite _bored_ her. Having to make long, drawn out conversations with mostly old people about where she would see herself in life grew tiresome. Even from a young age she was talking about college and her future career. Everyone assumed that she would obviously inherit Future Industries from Hiroshi, and they were nothing less than right.

It bothered Asami at times. Her life had been planned out for her since before she was born. When she was in middle school, having this lifestyle was all she ever wanted. She wanted to be apart of the huge business world, to eventually follow in her father's footsteps, to make everyone else around her proud, to make her _mother_ proud. But that changed when she entered high school.

When her mother left.

Asami wished that she could be more like Korra. Korra was so ... _Korra_. She was free willed, outgoing, didn't have a care in the world for what others thought about her. Asami figured that Korra could hit rock bottom and still have some happiness in her. That is what Asami envied most. She knew she couldn't hold anyone up to such a high pedestal, but it was hard to see Korra as anything else. 

It's not like she wasn't happy, though, she definitely was. After all, as much as she may dislike it at times, she had an amazing job. She had great friends, a great father, and Korra. 

_Korra_.

She missed Korra _a_ _lot_ in the past month. Since Future Industries had the ball coming up and her work life was pouring into and overflowing her personal life, plus Korra was being given project after project, the two women barely had enough time to see each other. For an understatement, it was awful and lonely. Usually they would find a way to be together every other day, like things used to be earlier on in their relationship. Asami missed those times; when things were easier. Although she wouldn't change anything as it was now. 

Her and Korra were in a good place. With their feelings finally out in the open, it let Asami breathe a bit better sometimes. When she was stressed at her desk or had to sit through a long meeting, her mind would often wonder to Korra. Thinking things like 'what's she doing right now' and 'when am i going to see her again' and even a few less appropriate thoughts.

Asami missed Korra's touch. She loved the other woman's lips, her soft skin, her cheeks, thighs, hands, neck, hair, legs, abs, and her arm muscles _especially_.

The last time they were together, which was about two weeks ago, they took Naga to the park that was near Korra's apartment. Asami remembered how much fun that day had been.

"Asami?"

Naga was definitely the perfect dog for Korra, no doubt. Their personalities matched together so well. They were both hyper and playful and sometimes a bit loud. Asami admired when they would run together, throwing sticks and balls. A few other people around would sometimes give odd looks, but it only made Asami even more attracted to Korra. It was the fact, again, that she simply did not care. 

Later that same day, her and Korra managed to get themselves into an _insanely_ heavy and heated makeout session on Korra's living room couch once Naga was supposedly asleep in the kitchen. A lower part in Asami began to come to life at the remembrance. Shirts had been removed, and pants were about to be gone as well. However, they were interrupted by Naga's barking. Korra's landlord was at the door telling Korra that the plumbing would be down the next day due to brief construction. 

That conversation had killed the mood pretty quickly. 

" _ASAMI_!? Are you even listening to me?!"

"What?" She perked up, blinking her eyes a few times. The smile on her face began to disappear when she realized her surroundings. She was still stuck in a dumb meeting with her least favorite partner. "Oh, I'm sorry I must have dozed off for a moment."

"What on earth could you have possibly been thinking about?" Varrick snapped with an eye twitch and sassy hands on his sides. "This ball is important! Do you have any idea how important this ball is, _Little_ Sato?"

"Yes, Varrick, I am more than aware. We have been doing this for years, after all. And do _not_ call me 'Little Sato.'"

"Yeah yeah, back to me," He continued as he turned back to the projector behind him. He waved his hand at Zhu Li who clicked a button making the slide change. "How are we feeling about _ice_ sculptures this year?"

"Pardon?"

"Ice sculptures, Little Sato, _ice_ _sculptures_!" He began to pace around the room with extended arms in the air. "We gotta think _bigger_!"

"Bigger than last year's ball?"

Last years ball had been amazing ... for the most part. It had been one of their best turn-ups, people wise. Hiroshi was unbelievably happy. The night went on for awhile, but when it was almost over, some of Varrick's team rolled in with large statues of him and his wife, following with a _kissing_ _booth_. 

The kissing booth did not end well when one of the young men working on it got some disease. Varrick was sued greatly by a few of the business women who actually participated. Hiroshi was boiling at the time, but later he found it quite amusing that Varrick suffered the consequences. 

"Yes, _much_ bigger. Last year there were only _three_ statues of me and _one_ of Zhu Li, and those were made of stone!" 

"It was your idea for them to be stone." Asami pointed out with crossed arms and legs. "Remember? Because of your name ' _Blackstone_?'"

"Well this time I want ice."

"I'm not so sure my father will approve of ice sculptures of you at this event. He barely even put up with that you pulled last year. And frankly, _I_ don't want those there either."

"Oh please, Little Sato. Your father won't mind at all. I _am_ his favorite partner." He said smugly.

"No you're no- actually, I don't care." Asmai returned her attention to the papers that sat on the round table in front of her. Varrick's self obsession could not go on for any longer.

"I'm also thinking about having a petting zo-"

"No, dear." The tiny woman said flatly. She shot Asami a warm smile from across the table, which Asami returned while mouthing 'thank you.' 

* * *

"Korra." Asami breathed with the little air she had left in her lungs.

Her hands were harshly knotted into the brunette hair. Korra's body was firmly pressed against Asami's, and Asami's back was firmly pressed against Korra's bed. Korra's strong arms pinned her down easily.

"We ... we- we need to ..." She tried to get something out but couldn't. Her mind was completely clouded with Korra's lips sucking and leaving marks on her neck. The pleasure building up inside of her was almost too much to say no to. 

"Need to _what_ , Ms. Sato?" Korra breathed against her neck with warm air, then quickly began to trail kisses against Asami's jaw and her collarbone. 

Anyone else calling her by such a formal name would have annoyed her, but this was Korra. Not to mention that she said it in a particular voice what made Asami instantly weak throughout her entire body. 

The effect that Korra had on Asami.

"You want me to stop?" Korra teased in the same tone, though she was very aware of the obvious answer.

"No!" Asami screamed a little too eagerly. "I-I mean yes. I mean, don't stop but just- just pause."

Korra gave her a few more kisses on her jaw, then stopped entirely. She steadily hovered her body over Asami's and looked down at her. Their chests both went up and down in sync. The hot air around them began to disperse.

Asami admired Korra from this angle, she looked beautiful. Of course she looked beautiful.

"I love when you stutter." Korra swooned. She showed her lazy, smug smirk. "Here we have this ridiculously important CEO of one of the largest companies in the world, and she's a fumbling mess under my touch. I'm so flattered."

"You're an asshole." Asami deadplanned. 

"You're adorable." Korra only beamed back with promising eyes. It made Asami's heart skip a beat. She rolled herself from above Asami and plopped down on to her bed right next to her. Asami, hesitantly, moved in closer to Korra and rested her head on Korra's shoulder. In response, the other woman wrapped up Asami with her arm so there was no space left between them.

Asami took in Korra's scent, it became one of her favorites if not _the_ favorite. She smelled of honey and nature with a bit of misty deodorant as well. 

"I'm glad you're here, though. We haven't really seen each other in awhile." Korra spoke up.

There was a strong pang of guilt filling up in Asami's chest. "I know and I'm so sorry-"

"There's nothing to apologize for. We're just really both busy people, I guess." She sighed. "How's work, by the way? Anything good going on?"

"Right, work." Asami bit her lip, staring up at the still ceiling fan. "I actually needed to talk to you about that."

"Is something wrong?"

"No, no nothing's wrong. I just have a question for you ..." She trailed on.

"You're talking like something's wrong." Korra huffed a laugh. She moved a bit again so that they could make eye contact. Both of them laid on their sides now, but still very, very close. "Just ask me, green eyes."

"I'm not so sure if you'll like what I have to say."

"I like everything you say." Korra had said it witch such seriousness that both of their eyes went wide. It's not even like the compliment was anything out of the ordinary, but it seemed like the meaning behind it was something different. 

"I- no wait-"

"Who's the fumbling mess because of _me_ now?" Asami mocked playfully which darkened Korra's eyes.

"You're an asshole."

"And _you're_ adorable." They repeated their previous talk as a parody. Asami smiled mischievously and began to move her fingers around Korra's stomach and armpits, the spots she knew would get the other woman the best. 

"Asami- stop it!" Korra instantly yelled out. She squirmed under Asami's touch in a laughing fit. Asami took this opportunity to straddle herself on top of Korra's body so she couldn't escape while still tickling. 

This is what Asami liked so much; just making Korra laugh. She was so glad that she was able to make Korra laugh like this. She continued to tickle the woman beneath her until she decided to give her mercy. Korra was finally given the chance to catch her own breath, and once she did, she went back to their conversation. 

"Don't you have something to ask me?"

"Yeah, I do." Asami bit her lower lip and brushed a strand of fallen hair behind her ear. "Okay, so I've told you about the Future Industries gala this year, right?"

"You know Varrick actually took Bolin to the one _last_ year?"

"Wait, seriously?"

Korra hummed and placed her hands on Asami's thighs. Either she knew it would make Asami's breath hitch, or she was oblivious to her power. 

"He worked in some kissing booth thing. I didn't even know those balls were like that." 

"They're usually not, but you know Varrick." Asami rolled her eyes and Korra laughed.

"Figures. Anyway, Bolin kissed a _bunch_ of older women, apparently. The guy would not stop bragging about it. Opal and I were considering dropping him at that point." Asami chuckled softly. "Well, he wouldn't stop bragging up until some bumps started appearing around his mouth. He actually got some disease from all of that kissing. It was the biggest laugh around the office for awhile, _especially_ when we found out Varrick got sued for it." 

"I heard about that incident, but never knew who it was. Am I allowed to find that absolutely hilarious?"

"Most definitely."

The two business women laughed with each other momentarily. Asami couldn't help herself but lean down and place a soft, brief kiss on Korra's forehead, then her nose, and then a light peck on her lips. She was locked with blue eyes that twinkled.

"Don't think I forgot about your question for me." Korra said finally, after coming back from her daze from Asami's lips all over her face.

"Shit." Asami cursed under her own breath. She darted her eyes up to the knitted tapestry hanging above the bed, only so she could look anywhere but Korra, even though she could feel her blue eyes studying her nervousness. "Um ... alright well, about the gala this year ... I was kind of wondering if you would like to ... possibly, it's up to you obviously, um, go with me there?"

Asami had barely thought out what she was saying. She'd been on plenty of dates with hookups and such in the past, but this was clearly not the same. She was asking Korra to accompany her to her own ball. She would be bringing Korra into the other side of her life, the more stressful side and uptight side. Asami wasn't sure that she wanted this all that much. It kind of scared her.

What if Korra didn't like the other side of her that she had to offer? What if the other side of her didn't like _Korra_?

It wouldn't have been that big of a deal to anyone else, but it was a huge deal to Asami. It was almost as if she was establishing something more between them. Now that idea _terrified_ her. She was beginning to think that she should have thought this through for a bit longe-

"Like, be your ... date?" Korra piped, interrupting her overthinking.

"Well, not date but-I mean yes date- I don't know. If that's too much for you than it's understandable."

"Too much? Are you kidding me, green eyes?" Korra moved so her back was pressed against her head board. Asami stayed in her lap while fiddling with her fingers. Korra noticed this and reached her hands out to grab Asami's and laced their fingers together. 

"You're actually asking me to be _your_ _date_ to _your_ _event_. That's- it's insane."

"Insane as in a good thing?" She winced slightly.

"Insane as in an _amazing_ thing, yes." The look in Korra's eyes was believable enough.

Asami's heart swelled. She didn't deserve this; being so lucky, having _Korra_.

"I actually didn't think you'd say yes. I didn't really consider a gala with a bunch of snobby, too rich for their own good people would be your scene. It can get incredibly boring, even with Varrick and his team there."

"You're partially right; it's not my scene. However," Korra gripped Asami's waist with her hands to pull her closer in. "You'll be there with me, so I'll be fine. And _please_ don't leave me by myself to go dance with some old guy."

"Dance with some old guy? Is that the type of person you pick me as?" Asami snickered and cocked her head. She moved her arms to rest on Korra's shoulders.

"Maybe not." Korra laughed softly, tightening her grip around Asami. "So, when is this thing, anyway?"

"July tenth, so a little less than a month. Don't worry, you have _plenty_ of time to pick out an outfit."

"An outfit, right." A far off look reached Korra's face.

"Right ...?" Asami slightly questioned. 

"I don't think I have anything that will meet your level of fancy. It's not like I can't really afford it, but I just wouldn't know the first thing about that stuff."

"Then you're lucky I'm here. I don't have something for this year yet, either. We can go shopping together next weekend, if you're available."

"I'll have work all week but I get off early on Friday." Asami's face slowly dropped, and obviously Korra could tell the change of mood. "You have something then, don't you?"

"It's just a small meeting that may run a bit late. If I could skip it I would, but this merchant has been clawing out my hair for months. I can't ignore him any longer." Asami sighed in frustration. She felt up the small lengths of hair behind Korra's head, practically burying her hands in them.

"That's okay. Maybe I can move my early time off to Saturday, I'll ask Zhu Li instead of Varrick. Does that work for you?"

"Sounds perfect." She smiled.

Korra smiled back, then leaned forward and planted a kiss on Asami's lips. It was originally going to be a simple peck, but when she began to pull away, Asami cupped her neck and pulled her back in. Their lips made contact again. It was so sweet and soothing. Korra let out a long sigh, her shoulders slumping and visibility becoming less tense. 

A surge of energy went through Asami's body as she breathed in Korra' scent once again. She felt herself subconsciously arching her upper body into Korra. 

They pulled away from each other and stared into the other's eyes. They were both equally dark and calling for something. Korra licked her bottom lip, and they resumed. They leaned back into another kiss; this one hotter and hungrier. Their hands roamed their bodies in a fast pace. Before she could blink, Asami's shirt was being lifted off of her head. Their breaths became one.

Korra flipped over and pushed Asami back into the bed with her being on top for the second time that day. Asami bucked her hips up to meet Korra's, and they both began grinding against each other. They were quick, almost impatient. Rough, low groans left their mouths while Asami stroked her hands against any muscle she could find on Korra's body. 

"Fuck." Slipped from Korra's mouth when Asami's nails dug into her back. She liked hearing this. She liked it far too much. 

Korra's shirt was gone not long after, along with her sweatpants, leaving her just in her sports bra and underwear. Asami was nothing less than _mesmerized_ by everything she could see. Korra's body was amazing. She was fit, slim, and had weight in all of the right places. A part of Asami wanted for Korra to just stand against a wall so she could admire her. 

Asami's pants were pulled off. Their lips caught each other's again.

Everything they were doing was quick and hot, but something seemed off. Like this was somehow ... wrong. Asami tried her best to push back that thought, but it kept slamming into the very front of her mind.

She wanted this. She wanted Korra so badly.

But not right now.

"We should," Korra spoke with a slurred tone. The hot air from her parted lips blowing on to Asami's. "We should stop."

_How are we always on the same page?_

Asami could only nod in response, still trying to get her heart rate to slow down. Korra laid back on the bed besides her. They both stayed silent, mindlessly looking up at the ceiling.

Asami can't say that the thought of being in bed with Korra like that hasn't crossed her mind one or two times, ( hundreds of times each day ) but the moment never seemed to be right. Every time it looked like they were about to take that final step, they were interrupted or they just _stopped_ out of nowhere. Much like they did now.

"I'm sorry about that." Korra said after _long_ moments of silence. 

"About what?"

"Getting carried away like that and then stopping."

"You have nothing to be sorry about, Korra." Asami smiled warmly. She sat up to pull the thick pelt at the end of the bed and placed it over them. This time, Korra snuggled up into Asami's side. "We both got carried away, but that's nothing new."

"I know, but I-" She paused. "I want it to be right. I don't want it to be rushed or anything, not with you."

_Oh, so we're having **this** conversation?_

"Me too." Is all Asami could get out. She could tell that her entire face was bright red, and hoped that Korra wouldn't notice.

"When it _is_ right though, I'll make love with you the way you deserve." Korra ran her hands over Asami's bare stomach, brushing it gingerly. Then she kissed Asami's shoulder. Her body shivered at the motion, the touch, and at the statement.

_Love?_

Asami melted - inside and out. Just when she thought that her heart rate had returned back to normal, it picked up again way too fast. Love; a foreign word she had almost completely forgotten about. Half of her mind was telling her to flee, to get out of there while she still could, but the other half told her not to dare move. She listened to the latter for the first time in her life. That was certainly new.

_Make love ... with me?_

_Make love with Korra._

_Make love. Not the same as actual love. Just a phrase._

She knew that Korra wasn't looking for a response, so she stayed quiet. They soaked up each other's embrace in peace. Asami was at peace.

This was almost _too_ peaceful. Now, Asami was scared again, and she hated herself for feeling that way. For a split second, she hated _Korra_ for making her feel that way. 

"Do you think you could stay the night?" Korra asked. Her voice was tired and hoarse, but soft and comforting like always. Asami looked over to large window in the bedroom and saw that night had fallen. She should be getting home soon. 

Before Asami could speak, Korra's bedroom door swung open and a large, fluffy, white animal came rushing in with a wagging tail. The two women stayed close but laughed and smiled at Naga's entrance. Korra patted the bed to get the dog's attention, then Naga leaped up and sprawled herself out on the side of the bed that Korra and Asami didn't take up.

Asami quickly imagined what they would look like if anyone else walked into the room. Her and Korra cuddling with Naga right next to them. It would make a lovely picture, she was sure of it. After Korra stopped scratching Naga's sides, she turned back to Asami with brighter eyes, but it was obvious that sleep was catching up to her. She placed her head on Asami's shoulder. Her previous question came back to mind.

"I'd love to stay, but we both have work." 

"Oh, yeah." 

Her heart stung. She wanted to reassure Korra that they would see each other again in only a few days, but she didn't. "I should get going soon."

"You're right, but can you just stay for a little longer?"

A beat skipped at the offer, until she answered, "Definitely."

But still, a beat skipped. 


	20. chapter twenty

July tenth came by quicker than expected, and quicker than wanted. There was not one part in Korra's body that wasn't completely consumed with nerves. When Asami first asked her to accompany her at the Future Industries annual gala, she truthfully could not have been more excited. It seemed like another, _farther_ step into her 'relationship' with Asami. Korra looked forward to entering a very vital and special part of the other woman's life; her in her _own_ business world. 

For the few weeks that led up to the date of the gala, Korra silently dreamed of Asami being surrounded by all of the one percent. She wondered if Asami acted any different than she did with Korra or at the Blackstone Building. For a moment, that thought frightened her, but she pushed it aside for the time being.

But now, her feelings were completely different. Now she was undeniably scared almost shit-less. 

Would she have to act different being surrounded by the one percent?

Would she somehow manage to _embarrass_ Asami? 

They both sat in a large, black limousine. They were only about ten or so minutes from arriving at the Sato Estate. Korra had never been there, and honestly she couldn't even remember Asami ever actually talking about it, so she wasn't too sure what to expect. All she could know from her own personal knowledge was that it was definitely covered with the most expensive ... _everything_. Korra had to mentally remind herself over and over again not to break anything, for her own sake.

She thought about screaming and telling the chauffeur to turn the car around right then, to take her back home so she could avoid the entire night, but she didn't. No matter how nervous she was, Korra wanted to be there with Asami more than anything. 

"Korra?" Asami spoke up to interrupt her thoughts, and gratefully so. Korra lifted her head up to meet her gaze. Asami's green eyes managed to shine so brightly in the dark car. Just looking at Asami in that moment made her body less tense; her shoulders slightly dropping.

"Are you okay?" 

"Yeah. Why wouldn't I be?" Korra answered with a doubtful grin. She knew that Asami could easily tell that something was wrong. Asami didn't know it of course, but she was good at reading Korra's emotions when Korra needed her to.

"You've been pretty quiet since we picked you up."

"Sorry." She sighed, trying to force another smile. "I'm honestly just really excited. I guess I can't think straight." It was half a lie.

"That's good." Asami paused, looking content and more serious all of the sudden. "I'm really happy you agreed to come with me."

"Of course, Asami." And she meant that.

Korra quicking pondered on whether or not to hold Asami's hand at that moment, but decided on keeping her hands placed neatly in her lap. They've done many things, but have only actually held hands a very small number of times since their feelings were confessed. Even then, it was done when the situation was more 'friendly' rather than serious or romantic. 

The air in the car was thick now. They kept eye contact, but it was a bit uncomfortable for Korra. She broke their stare and turned her head to look out the window. She watched as they passed by the city. She watched the clueless people going about their lives, the small and tall buildings along with the skyscrapers, the bright lights. Korra sighed, but she realized soon after that it came out louder than she thought it would.

A few minutes of heavy silence passed when Korra felt a warm presence hesitantly graze over her folded hands. She looked back down to her lap and saw a pale hand trying to grip one of hers. Korra lifted her head again to stare at Asami, who in her surprise was simply looking out of her own window. A smile met Korra's face; the first real one since she entered the limousine. She took the final step and laced her fingers with Asami's. Her heart thumped, almost skipping one too many beats.

* * *

The Sato Estate was nothing less than beautiful, and honestly kind of majestic. The two women, along with a few other people arriving at the same time as them, walked up long, golden steps that were covered with red velvet carpet. They were greeted at the door by a young, petite woman wearing a butler's outfit. Her and Asami spoke briefly until she had to let them go because other people were waiting to be let inside. 

When they entered, they headed down a long hallway that lead straight to the main room where the event was taking place. The hallway had a tall ceiling with mini chandeliers hanging every couple of feet. The walls were decorated with expensive looking mirrors, paintings, and had shelves with large bouquets of flowers sitting in _expensive_ looking vases. 

It was easy to hear the loud classical music blaring from what Korra assumed to be the ballroom, along with the conversations from the guests merging together into mumbling noise with the occasional harsh laughter. As they walked down with the other people, Korra began to feel a bit underdressed when she looked around, even though that was hardly the case for neither her or Asami.

Asami wore a green suit ( Korra had said it matched her eyes ) but it didn't end there. The suit was a dark pine and basil color. The pants were loosely fit, flowing gracefully as her long legs moved. She had a white collared shirt underneath the jacket, and the jacket itself had a string that tied tightly around her waist ( Korra had also said that it brought out her curves. ) To finish the look, Asami decided for the rest of her outfit to be more simple since the suit was quite extravagant. She wore plain white heels and kept the jewelry to a minimum; gold stud earrings, a gold double layered necklace, and the her matching bracelet with Korra that had the blue gem. Her makeup was the same as usual and her hair was set into a bun updo done by her hairstylist. 

It took them awhile to find something that was just right for Korra, since she wanted to look her absolute best for the event. Asami took her to about four different stores until they finally found the perfect dress. 

Yes, _dress_. 

Surprisingly enough, it was actually Korra's idea for her to wear a dress, though it was most definitely out of her comfort zone. The dress they decided on was simple, but it did Korra's body an awful lot of justice, it showing a generous amount of cleavage and all. Asami had to remind herself to not-so-noticeably stare at her the entire night. The dress was a light cobalt mixed with sky; the color made her complection and bright eyes stand out, and it fell right at her feet. She suited it with short, black heels, ( that took Asami about a week to help her walk properly in ) one silver necklace that dropped over her breasts, and _her_ matching bracelet with Asami that had the green gem.

"You look great, by the way. If I haven't already said that thirty times in the past hour." Asami admitted with a genuine smile.

Korra's cheeks heated quickly as she chose not to make eye contact or else she was sure she'd crumble before the night even started. "Uh, thank you." She said with a croak. "So do you, obviously."

Asami only grinned in response as they met the end of the hallway and were welcomed by the _humongous_ ballroom. Korra couldn't even register it all at once. A part of her now wished that her and Asami walked in together with linked arms, like other couples, but she didn't know if that would be stepping over any lines. 

Plus, they weren't a couple.

The ballroom had even higher ceilings than the hallway, with much bigger chandeliers hanging from it, along with a large sunroof covered in stained glass. The large windows on the walls had elegant beige curtains draped over them. The details on the white stoned walls and ceilings were beautiful. The floor was a light wood that was glazed over. 

Korra had never seen anything like it, or, she had never seen _people_ like _this_. 

Every few feet there were small groups of mostly older people gathered around. Not one person was underdressed, and her insecurities about her outfit began to grow until she remembered what Asami had told her a minute ago. 

"You're sure this is okay? It's not too much?"

Korra admired but also hated Asami for this; for being so caring and concerned for Korra's well being in this new setting. Asami was so _good_ , but she didn't want her to have to worry for the entire night.

"Asami, don't worry about me." She assured, which was the truth. "But this place- it's amazing. How come I've never been here before?"

Asami chuckled softly, and Korra's heart lifted at that. "It's beginning to sound like you want a tour."

"That may be on my mind, yes."

"I'll make sure to give you one once all of this is over." 

"Perfect." Korra's nose caught a _delicious_ smell and she quickly whipped her head to try and find out where it was coming from. "You mentioned something about there being a buffet, right?"

"It's in the dining hall which is right next to this room but we'll be eating outside." She pointed to double doors that led to the outdoors area. "But dinner isn't for another hour or two."

Korra playfully pouted which caused Asami to laugh again. They were about to head over to the small table in another corner that had fruit and crackers, but were interrupted. 

"Asami, dear!" 

"Dad, hi!" Asami leaned into a tight embrace with an older man who was dressed very nicely. "I didn't think we would find you this early on into the night. We just arrived."

Korra cocked her head up to Asami, who didn't meet her gaze and continued to look at her father. She could easily tell that Asami's voice and postured had changed. It set her back a bit, but this is what she had expected, right? For Asami to be a little different than usual. After all, it made sense for the scene they were in.

As if the label 'dad' didn't give it off already, Korra took one more look at the little brooch of a gear pinned to his vest, and fully recognized him as Hiroshi Sato. The nerves she felt in the car ride to the estate came back and hit her like a train. 

"Well I was just on my way to speak with Miss Lin Beifong about the security around this place, but it seems like she's quite busy with other priorities." He said. His voice was sophisticated and clear. 

Korra's eyes widened at the familiar name. They all glanced over to the corner he was looking at. There, was none other than Lin Beifong, chief of police, her _neighbor_ , leaning against a wall. She was wearing a plain, dark gray suit that matched her hair. She was talking to someone; another older woman who was _gorgeous_. The other woman had light brown skin and gray hair. She wore a loose blue dress that barely hung above the floor with no signs of jewelry. 

For the first time ever, Korra swore that she saw Lin looking a bit nervous. The idea made her laugh internally. Still though, she made a mental note to avoid her.

"Oh, well excuse my daughters poor manners; she should know better than not introducing a guest." Asami rolled her eyes jokingly. "I'm Hiroshi Sato, dear. And your name?" He stuck out his hand, which Korra took in hers to exchange a firm shake. 

"It's a true honor to meet you, sir. I'm Korra."

They broke their shake. Hiroshi blinked a few times at her name. " _The_ Korra? Well in that case the honor is all mine." 

"I didn't know I was important enough to have a 'the' before my name." She attempted to joke and thankfully earned a chuckle from the older Sato. 

"Oh of course you're important! My daughter here hasn't stopped rambling about you for _ages_."

"Uh, dad-" Asami tried to intervene but was ignored.

"Honestly I was beginning to think that you were nothing but a figment of her imagination. I have been waiting on the edge of my seat to finally meet you in person."

Korra had to stop herself from gawking like an idiot at the new information. She looked back up to Asami with challenging eyes. "Is that so?"

Asami visibly blushed and hugged herself with her arms. It was impossible for Korra to not find that adorable. 

"Certainly." Hiroshi drew back Korra's attention. "I'm more than delighted to have you as my guest tonight."

"Thank you, by the way, for having me."

"No need for the gratitude, I'll be happy to have you any time." His smile was big and promising but not as bright as Asami's. Maybe that was a trait that she got from her mother. "Oh, it seems like Lin is finally available. I should be off now, but once again, an honor to finally meet you, Korra."

"The honor is all mine, sir."

"You can call me Hiroshi. But maybe keep that between the three of us." He winked. "I hope to speak to you again later in the night, if I can get the chance to pull you from this one." Hiroshi nudged Asami's arm with his elbow and she shot him a warning look.

"Me too." 

"Alright, alright I'll get out of your hair. Have fun, Asami. Make sure you have a talk with the Zhao's especially, please."

"I'll see to it." She responded as Hiroshi walked off in Lin's direction once Kya was gone. He gave a few hand shakes and pats on the shoulder with the people he glided by.

Asami turned back to Korra and let out an exaggerated sigh, dropping her arms to her side and adjusting her posture for comfortably. 

"I cannot _believe_ that you just met my dad and we've only been here for five minutes."

There she was. This was the Asami that Korra knew so well. Korra suddenly felt a wave of comfort wash over her and any last nerves dispersing. She smiled up to Asami in awe.

"I'm not sure what you're so worked up about." She said with a sly grin. "I honestly like him; he seems really nice. Plus, don't forget that you've already met my parents."

"Yeah, but still. I was kind of nervous for you to meet him."

"Why? Afraid I wouldn't live up to his standards?"

"What? No, of course not." Asami debunked quickly. "He can just be _insanely_ judgmental some- _most_ of the time. He doesn't even like my other friends; Mako, Wu, and Kai. He says I need to surround myself with more 'sophisticated people.'"

"Can you really blame him there?"

"Guess not." Asami chuckled. "It seemed like he really loved you, though. It's a little shocking, actually, but also pretty relieving."

"I am a charming person." Korra suggested smugly. 

"Oh yeah?" Asami returned her smugness with a smirk while slowly walking closer to Korra. If her personality itself wasn't intimidating, her height surely was. "And who told you that?"

Korra mentally pinched herself to not stutter, to keep the same energy. "No one needs to tell me that, it's written all over your face every time I use _that_ voice with you." She paused. " _Ms_. _Sato_."

Asami's cheeks were a soft pink, her body stiffened. Korra laughed quite loudly, but it wasn't a disturbance since the other chatter in the room and music was so loud.

* * *

The two women carried on with their night. Asami had to unfortunately speak to a number of people, both old and middle aged. At first it slightly annoyed Korra at how distracted these strangers made her, but she knew that Asami had a title and a role in this world. 

She wished for just a moment that Varrick had brought Bolin back this year, so maybe she would have a familiar face here that wasn't her cranky, old police neighbor. 

"And who are you, miss?" The older woman who Asami was talking to had finally noticed Korra's presence. Her hands and face were wrinkled, though you could tell that she had at least a little work done. The work that was done was poor, or maybe expired? She wore a bright yellow dress that went straight down with a heavy looking white hat with feathers, along with jewelry covering her entire neck, wrists, and fingers. 

"Me?" Korra spoke with a slight rasp. "Oh, I'm Korra. It's nice to meet you."

"Of course. Who do you work for?"

"Uh, Varrick?" She had no idea why it came out as a question rather than a direct answer. "I work at the Blackstone Building."

"Oh, I'm not too fond of that." Her old face scrunched in disgust.

"May I ask, why is that?" Asami spoke for Korra in annoyance at the insult.

"That Varrick is a very _vile_ man. Always has some inappropriate _scheme_ up his sleeves. The rest of you haven't come to the realization yet, but I've stopped falling for his tricks back in my fifties."

"Varrick is a good businessman, Ms. Parcs. I'm sure the two of you just had an unfortunate run in." Asami talked with pure grace for having her own personal problems with said man.

Asami and, who Korra now knew as Ms. Parcs, continued with the quiet banter for another few minutes until Asami willingly excused herself from the bitter older woman. She took Korra's arm with her hand and speed walked over to the table with fruit and crackers at last. Korra's eyes lit up at the food, though it was little. Her stomach was begging for the dinner to begin. She took a small, fancy porcelain plate and scooped about three handfuls of fruit on to it.

"I'm sorry these people keep dragging me into conversations." Asami admitted with a displeased look. "I'd seriously rather just stand in a corner with you and people watch."

"You know I don't mind." Half a lie. "Besides, dinner will start soon."

"You've been keeping track of time, haven't you?" Asami picked a strawberry from Korra's plate and chucked it into her mouth. Korra looked at her in shock.

"Get your own fruit." She covered her plate with her free hand and fork. "And it's not my fault there's a huge clock in here. And that I am _starving_."

"I'm sure you can last another thirty minutes."

* * *

The dinner was incredible, just as Asami explained it would be to Korra. It took place in the courtyard that was right outside the ballroom. The courtyard was decorated nicely. It was lit up with fairy lights, tall lamps, and little bags that had fake candles inside of them that trailed down the walkway. Another orchestra, a smaller one, played quiet music in a corner near some well trimmed bushes. There were tens of small round tables that would fit a total of five people each; their placements already assigned and reserved with name cards.

The buffet had all kinds of food. They managed to get different foods from every nationality, it seemed. Korra especially liked the Inuit food from the south that they had, while Asami dug into the food from Japan and China. 

They were seated at a table with one other woman and a man who were definitely all friends. They tried to make conversation with Asami at first, but she kept showing disinterest so they finally left her alone. Since then, Korra and Asami have been keeping to themselves for the dinner. They were completely caught up in the other.

Well, for the most part, that is.

"Asami?!"

Korra and Asami's conversation was stopped by a low, 'manly' voice. They looked up to see a man standing right next to Asami's chair. He had pale skin and raven hair with a just decent face. He was attractive, but like said, just decent. He was dressed in a dark red suit with gold outlining the edges. He looked expensive. Korra didn't know him, of course, but merely assumed that it would be another stranger that she'd have to sit through for three or so minutes.

She was wrong.

"Holy shit, no way!" Asami gasped loudly. She stood from her chair quickly. "Zeke!"

Asami brought the man into a strong embrace, and he slithered his arms around her back. Korra stayed in her seat and raised an eyebrow at them. The hug was much longer that expected as they swayed back and forth lightly. Then, Asami finally let go.

"I've been looking for you all night but you were always moving around so quickly!" He said.

"If I'd known you were here I would've tried to find you." Asami's smile almost _bothered_ Korra. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming this year? I haven't seen you in so long."

"It was sort of a last minute thing." He chuckled, and it made Korra's blood hot. "My mother said that she really needed me here after the whole thing with her company."

"Shit, I am so sorry about that, by the way. Is your family doing okay?"

"They're holding up, obviously. My sister though, she has been a _nightmare_ ever since our parents had to freeze our accounts."

"That's nothing new though, right?" Asami joked, he laughed again, and Korra felt like she was about to throw a fit. When the laughter winded down, Asami perked up and turned back to Korra, gesturing for her to stand up, which she did. "Korra, this is Zeke, one of my oldest friends from high school. Zeke, this is Korra, my," A beat skipped. "My best friend."

_Her what?  
_

If her blood wasn't hot before, it felt like there was lava flowing through her body now. She tried her best to not show the anger forming, but it was a difficult task.

Zeke stuck his hand out in invitation for a shake, and Korra un-willingly took it, then broke it off only about point five seconds later. 

"It's nice to meet you, Korra. How do you know Asami?"

"I work for Varrick at the Blackstone Building, and she comes by pretty often. Our _friendship_ just bloomed from there, I guess." Korra let out the word 'friendship' in a spiteful tone, knowing that Asami would pick up on it.

"I _love_ Varrick. He's probably one of my favorite people at this thing besides Asami."

"Yeah, uh, same." Korra grumbled and brought her eyes to Asami. She looked like she was sucking in a breath.

The three of them talked for another _long_ ten minutes, and Korra noticed that the other three at their table had left. It was mindless chatter, mostly Zeke and Asami reminiscing on old memories while Korra stood there laughing awkwardly, trying to act like she cared about anything he was saying. 

"Hey, I think I'm gonna go grab seconds." Zeke announced. Korra huffed quietly to herself.

"Oh, well it was so nice to see you again, then." Asami said.

"Wait, you wanna come up to the buffet with me? My mother would love to see you."

Korra was about to scream at this guy. She almost couldn't believe it. Asami was clearly with her for the night. Even if he didn't know that she was _with_ with Korra, it was still disrespectful. Her mouth opened, to say what? She had no idea.

"Act-"

" _Actually_ , I'm with Korra for the night." Asami spoke up with certainty. Korra even noticed Asami's body move closer to hers. 

A warm feeling came over her. It was appreciation, delight, and admiration. For a split second, she had forgotten all about the misused title for their relationship. She was just happy that Asami didn't run off with Zeke. A smile almost krept its way on to her lips.

Almost.

"That's cool then." Zeke assured. His golden eyes were loud. "See you later, perhaps?"

"Definitely."

Zeke waved to the two women and headed back to the buffet. He was quickly caught up in another conversation with some older man who looked just as expensive as him. Korra let out a heavy breath and sat back down in her chair, Asami followed. Korra picked up her fork and began to play with the food that was left on her plate. She had lost her appetite, apparently. 

"You don't like him." Asami accused.

"What?" She looked at her with a blank face.

"Zeke. You don't like him."

"Where did you get that?" Though she knew that Asami was right to assume that. Korra's body language practically screamed 'go away, Zeke.'

"I could just tell."

"So what if I don't, though? Is that a _deal_ _breaker_ or something?" She returned to her spiteful tone, but instantly regretted it when Asami's eyes widened then slimmed.

"I'm sorry, what?" 

"Nothing. Just ... nevermind, Asami."

They bathed in their quietness. It was awkward, all of the sudden. Korra wished it wasn't. A few minutes passed, Korra continued to stir her food with a bored expression. Asami was silent.

_I seriously wish Bolin was here now._

"Are you done eating?"

"Yeah, I guess." Korra huffed and dropped her fork on to her half empty plate, creating a small clatter sound. She turned to look at Asami. Her green eyes were gleaming with ... mischief? 

"Good." Asami stated.

After that, she stood up abruptly and latched her hand with Korra's to pull her up as well. 

* * *

The two walked quickly, slipping through the tables, gliding over the mostly empty ballroom floor, and before Korra could blink twice they were running up a grand flight of stairs. She wasn't even able to process the decorations or _anything_ as they passed by.

She looked down at their hands that were still locked together, and smiled. They laughed quite loudly and cheekily while a few people starred, but they didn't care. 

Asami pulled Korra through what felt like a maze that was the third floor. The number of people around lessened until they were the only ones around. The music and chatter from downstairs was muffled, which was much nicer to Korra. They ran down what she hoped was the final hallway because her heels were starting to puncture her feet.

"Where are we _going_?" Korra questioned past her own laughter. Asami didn't answer, she just kept dragging her until they stopped in front of tall doors. The doors were a clean white with a few intricate details on them. Asami carefully pushed on one, and smiled when it opened without a creek. She pulled Korra into the room and quickly shut the door behind them.

"Why do I get the feeling that we're not supposed to be here?" Korra said with a smirk and raised eyebrow.

Asami shot her a proud, sneaky look as she ventured further into the room. "Probably because it's off limits, according to my father."

Korra was now given the opportunity to get a look at where Asami had taken her. The room was just about medium size. Based on what it was filled with, it looked to be an office for a clothing designer.

The room had the same wood floors that were in the ballroom, but a bit scuffed. The ceiling was white with a small chandelier hanging, also similar to the ones in the hallway that lead to the ballroom. It was hard to tell at first, but the walls had red wallpaper with some patterns on it. Though the wall was mostly if not _completely_ covered with bulletin boards, shelves, collages of cut out pictures of models, fabrics hanging, and a few small cabinets. There were also some cotton mannequins bundled up in a corner with pins and measuring tapes draped over them.

There was a small desk that was pushed up against a wall, but the surface was empty. A long table was in the center of the room. Korra walked over to it. She noticed the sketches of clothing designs taped to the surface and nothing else. 

"This was my mother's."

It had been so quiet for so long that Korra almost forgot that Asami was here as well. She was leaned against the wall right next to a thin, white door. Her arms were crossed.

"The room, I mean. She was really passionate about designing clothes. She used to make things for me all the time when I was younger. I still have most of them, actually, even though they don't fit anymore."

Korra was shocked, _amazed_ , at Asami opening up like this about her mother. Asami was letting her into such a vulnerable topic. It was hard to contain her happiness, but she knew that a smile right now would be wildly inappropriate. She chose her words carefully and spoke in a soft, hopefully comforting tone. 

"These sketches are beautiful. I'm sure she was really talented." Korra stated.

"She was." Asami paused and stayed still. Even from a bit far away, Korra could see something flicker in her eyes. "She would have loved you."

That was the best compliment Asami could ever give her. Her heart was swelling almost painfully. Korra nodded with a thoughtful smile and looked down at the sketches. A number of them were clearing clothing for a little girl.

"Can I show you one more thing?" Asami suggested. 

"Yeah."

* * *

The rooftop was of course beautiful though a bit empty for its large space. It only consisted of a few lounge chairs and a small table with four chairs. The railing was just a simple black, but it was tall and met up to Korra's stomach. 

Her and Asami leaned over it, staring out into and over the city. The rooftop was beautiful, yes, but the view that it gave was magnificent. You could truly see everything. The stars, the bright moon, the people below, the cars, the lights, the liveliness of it all.

The music from outside and the first and second floor managed to flow up to them. It was very quiet considering how far it was coming from and the noise from the city below.

They were quiet as well. Korra assumed that Asami was simply enjoying the view and listening to the faint music, but that wasn't the case for her. She was busy contemplating her introduction to Zeke; what Asami had called her. It wasn't even a big deal, or it shouldn't have been.

_"Korra, this is Zeke, one of my oldest friends from high school. Zeke, this is Korra, my," A beat skipped. "My best friend."_

Was that all that she was to Asami? Just a best friend? Did she ... _lie_ about having feelings for Korra?

The music got louder as it changed tones. It was a song meant for a slow dance. 

"Asami?" Fell out of Korra's mouth before she could even think of what she wanted to say. Asami turned her head to look at her and hummed. 

She looked so beautiful, it was hard for Korra to even want to bring up the topic. Small strands of her hair fell from its bun and blew softly in the light breeze. Her cheeks were the perfect shade of rose.

Korra's hands clamped, but she went on. "Why did you tell Zeke that I was your best friend?"

Asami was shocked at the question. "Because you are ..."

"Yeah, but, you know it's not just that, right?" Asami didn't respond. "Right?" She repeated.

"Of course I do, Korra. But what was I _supposed_ to say? I like where we are right now, but it's all still kind of confusing."

"What's confusing?"

There was a pause. 

"What I really want. I don't know anything about this stuf-"

"What _do_ you know?" Korra interrupted her, though she didn't care. She needed to know what Asami was thinking. She was tired of the guessing and beating around the bushes at this point.

They sat in more silence. It was heavier this time. More weight was put on both of their shoulders. They kept eye contact. Korra was a bit worried, scared even, to hear Asami's answer. She wondered if she crossed a line. 

Asami's lip quivered, it was obvious that she was hesitant to answer but something in her eyes told Korra that whatever she said next would be the truth. 

"I know that I want you."

Korra went still, and rightfully so. Asami's facial expression, her eyes, her body language, her tone of voice; it wasn't a lie. Something in her eyes flickered again, the same thing that flickered when they were in her mother's office. Korra couldn't detect what it was, she wished that she could.

She wanted to kiss Asami and pour all of her similar feelings out in a more intimate way. However, the other woman had other plans. Much different plans. The music got louder.

"Dance with me, Korra." Asami said after a few beats. Her hand was out in search of Korra's. 


	21. chapter twenty one

Asami walked into the bedroom after grabbing her phone from the kitchen. She went to the short dresser that had the television and other nacks placed on top, and pulled open the exact drawer that she knew she needed.

She dug around it a bit, most of the clothes being unfolded, until she found her favorite pair of sweatpants that she loved to wear every time she stayed the night at Korra's apartment. She had changed into shorts when they first got back, but she was getting a bit cold so a switch was needed. The running water from the sink and closed bathroom door told her that Korra was still getting herself ready for bed.

She thought back to their pretty extragevent night at the gala. They only just got back from it about two hours ago, the time now being close to two am. Asami had an amazing night, they both did. She reminisced on the fresh memories while pulling up the sweatpants and tying the string in the front to fit her waist. The images of Korra in that dress would definitely linger in her mind for a very, very long time. Asami looked to the open closet door and saw that dress hanging on the rack nicely, and smiled. She was sure that she'd never get over how beautiful her partner looked that night.

Partner; that was what they were going with now. The thought of the new label was a bit scary at first until the conversation eased and she admitted that calling Korra her best friend wasn't fitting. It had been discussed during the midst of their slow dancing. They danced under the stars and the moon. They danced to the hushed orchestra that played the perfect song at the perfect time. They danced to and with each other, holding the other as closer as possible with serious faces and the occasional small smile.

Asami remembered the way Korra held her so waist gently yet possessively as they locked hands and swayed rather than waltzed. They were so painfully caught up in each other, so fully consumed. Asami felt a pleasant pang in her stomach when just then, as if on cue, Korra's private bathroom door opened. The shorter woman walked out with her phone in one hand as she scratched her cheek with the other. Their eyes met.

"Hey." Korra greeted first, standing a bit too still in the doorway.

"Hi."

"I'm done with the bathroom now, if you need it."

"I'm good, actually. I was just with Naga in the kitchen for a little bit. She is _so_ adorable."

"Is she sleeping yet?"

"Passed out." Asami confirmed with a small chuckle as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"Thank god." Korra pleased and finally moved. She flipped the switch in her room to turn off the big light, leaving the only things to light up the place one side table lamp and the moon through the curtains, but they did a lot of justice.

She carried herself over to the taller dresser in her bedroom that was pressed against the wall right between her bathroom door and closet doors. Asami was always amused at how many clothes this woman actually had, ( despite her saying that fashion and shopping weren't her thing ) considering how much space she needed.

Asami was about to crawl into Korra's bed when she noticed that Korra was taking off her shirt to change into another one. From not that far, Asami tried to quietly admire Korra's physique and all that she could see. Her well defined back muscles and arms moved gracefully, mesmerizingly, underneath her spotless skin. She had always found muscles to be extremely attractive, but something about these ones in particular being Korra's muscles made them much better.

Korra bent over a bit to open a lower drawer, causing her muscles to shift again. It almost felt like they were mocking her, or rather, that Korra was _teasing_ her.

_You shouldn't._

But she did. Something in Asami awoken that night at the gala when the cleavage of Korra's breasts were on full display to her taller self, along with other people. A quick vision of her catching a handful of middle aged men eyeing her stung her mind. She was never really the possessive or jealous type in general ... however ...

Asami slowly walked over to Korra and managed to stop shaking enough to place her hands on her partner's strong shoulders. She felt them tense immediately under her touch, and it made her feel a bit powerful.

"Hey, green eyes." Korra said in a curious tone. She was only standing back facing Asami in a cup bra. Asami scanned everything she could see; Korra's back, bra straps, neck, ears, her short hair.

"Hi." She responded more alluringly. After the few months that her and Korra had been more touchy with each other, sometimes she remembered how she had an affect on the younger woman.

She used this to her advantage and pressed her lips on one of the shoulders she held. It wasn't even out of lust, rather it was out of raw emotion. Asami just wanted to kiss and touch Korra in every way that she was allowed to. She loved the feeling of her lips meeting the usual hot skin.

Korra obviously melted into the act of affection. Asami didn't continue though, and instead placed her chin on the same shoulder.

"I'm still really happy that you came to the gala with me." Asami said. "Even if I pissed you off with the whole best friends thing. I'm _also_ still really sorry about that."

"You can stop apologizing now, you know. I told you thirty times already that it's fine, just caught me off guard."

"Yeah but still." She gave another kiss on the shoulder, then made her way up to the neck. Korra tensed again.

Korra then quickly turned around, pulling Asami's body into her front, and smashed her lips onto pale ones. They eased into the kiss within milliseconds, of course. Asami sighed at the contact. She was _addicted_ to kissing Korra, and rightfully so.

All of the sudden she was pushing the other business woman against a wall and latched onto her neck hungrily, almost as if she had to prove how badly she wanted to suck it.

Their hands and legs and breaths tangled together. Korra dug her hands on the back of Asami's head to somehow pull her lips closer. Asami gripped Korra at her naked waist to keep her firmly up right as it seemed like she was falling because of the sensation.

Heat filled the room quickly.

"Bed." Korra huffed, though it was completely inaudible to Asami. She was far too distracted by sucking and biting on Korra's neck, making sure to hit the sweet spots that she knew so well by now.

"What was that?" She whispered into her neck slyly with a smirk, then went back to kissing it.

"We need to ... get to my bed." Korra mumbled but it was clear enough what she said next with such a serious tone. "I- I want you, Asami."

Asami slowly pulled back to look at Korra in the eyes, her own wide as she felt herself shiver and throat go dry.

"Are- are you sure?"

"God yes. I've never wanted anything or anyone else more." It came out sharp and almost seemed like a whimper. Asami's knees nearly buckled in on her as her eyes grew wide.

"Is that okay?" Korra asked more concerningly.

Asami took a moment to answer, but not because she was having doubts or seconds thoughts. It was instead because of how true Korra's confession was, and how much it left her rattled. She figured if her underwear was just a bit damp before, it would be soaked within the next one or two seconds.

"Yeah."

Korra backed Asami up until the back of her knees hit the edge of the bed. With that, she leaned backwards and shuffled up so she was fully on it. Korra crawled over her slowly going limp body and kissed her again. The kiss was hard and spoke volumes, as if that was the final okay that they needed, and it was.

Together they lifted Asami's tank top over her head and quickly pulled down her sweatpants to be in her undergarments underneath Korra. Korra scanned over her body for a moment, her pupils widening. Asami wore a very lacy, slightly revealing, matching dark blue set. The bra hardly covered her nipples, and the underwear was basically close to nothing. Asami didn't feel nervous under Korra's gaze, but she went in to continue their kiss. Quiet sighs and moans came from each of them when Korra's hands roamed her body.

Their heart beats, breaths, pace of beating and need in between their legs quickly became synced. Korra tugged off her own shorts at last, and then they were exactly where they'd been before so many times and had never went any further.

_This is it._

Asami's hands moved to the back of Korra's bra and quickly found the ability to unclasp it. Her heat skipped so many beats she was sure she would pass out any moment now, but wouldn't dare to. Korra's breasts were on full display right in front of her face.

_This is right._

Her breasts were perfect. Absolutely perfect. They were huge, bigger than she honestly thought they'd be, and round with a bit of sag but just the right amount. Perfect. Her nipples were a much darker brown and clearly erect. Asami went up to kiss her again, both of their brows furrowing.

She pushed Korra gently so that her back was now on the bed with Asami hovering over. Their lips connected again, and Asami began to massage one of Korra's bare breasts slowly with care, though it hardly fit in her hand. A low grumble came from her partner's mouth and her knees bent slightly.

They kissed and did more kissing for another few minutes. Their hips began to grind together as their bottoms grew more soaked at each beat.

Korra reluctantly pulled away with a sigh and parted lips. Asami could sense the gulp in her throat, and could only hope that nothing had gone wrong.

"I want to see you." A suggestion, not a rude demand.

Asami's body heated as she nodded slowly, lost in the eyes below her. Warm hands undid the clip on her bra, letting the article of coverage slip down pale arms until it was thrown elsewhere in the room. Korra studied the two breasts in front of her. They weren't as big as hers, but only smaller by a little bit.

The way Korra admired Asami's body made her feel so beautiful. She lunged back for another kiss, sharp sighs following. Their bodies pressed together faultlessly. Asami began to run her fingers down Korra's stomach until they reached the hem of her underwear. Korra pulled from the kiss to nod encouragingly with big eyes, and Asami slid them down the soft legs and tossed them. They were long forgotten.

The last layer of clothing that kept them from one hundred percent seeing each other were Asami's bottoms now. Moments later, Korra slid them down her legs, and they joined the group of the forgotten as well.

Asami didn't bother to waste any more time now. Her lips fell down Korra's body; re-starting at her jaw, to her neck, collarbone, and landed at her chest. She was praising this body like a religion. Asami tried to stop herself from staring at the two brown breasts that sat in front of her. Just like she had thought only a few minutes ago - they were simply perfect. She went up to kiss Korra on the lips again and felt the body under her stirr impatiently in need. Korra's hands found their way to Asami's slim back and in the strands of her hair.

Asami went back down and gladly took in Korra's right breast, earning herself a sharp gasp from said woman and her hips rolling upwards slightly. Asami took the other breast in her free hand and began to toy with it. She massaged it softly at first, just to see what Korra liked. When that didn't give her the exact reaction she looked for, she took the dark nipple in between her thumb and pointer finger and went to work. She twisted and pulled on the sensitive bud harshly as it hardened under her touch, all while simultaneously giving attention to the other breast.

Korra arched her back at the sensation, making Asami quickly realize that her chest was quite sensitive. She made note of that. She continued to lick and suck and twist and pull on both breasts. Korra's breath was a shaky, slowly growing louder whimper. They stayed like this for a small time longer until Korra grew irritated as the burning and pounding feeling inside of her was _begging_ for Asami.

Asami came up to Korra's cheek, brushing short, soft kisses over the hot skin, then leaned into her ear.

"I want to taste you." She whispered, and could _feel_ Korra twitch in her hold. It brought her confidence, and any and all last nerves she had were gone. "Can I?"

"Yes." Korra agreed sharply, barely even processing the request. She knew what she needed and wanted anyway.

Usually, Asami would have smirked playfully at the eagerness. However, all she could do was gaze at the woman below her in pure admiration and lust. She nodded, even though Korra's eyes were closed and she wouldn't see.

The heiress kissed down Korra's body again in a faster, eager past. She planted more soft kisses on her sensitive breasts one last time. Her kisses trailed to Korra's hard abs and quivering stomach. Korra let out a sigh as she watched Asami venture further down and bit her lower lip.

She was now facing the most vulnerable part of a woman's body, of _Korra's_ body to be exact. Her wetness from prior stimulation coated over her pussy, and Asami full-heartedly thought that it was _beautiful_. Her dark bud stood out from the folds with a slight red tint that almost looked painful. Asami wanted to ease the pain and replace it with pleasure as fast as possible.

With that final thought, she carefully swiped her tongue over Korra's clit, making sure to get the best first taste that she could. Korra tasted better than Asami had _ever_ had before, better than she had imagined. It could be deemed nearly tasteless, but to Asami it wasn't. Her own legs clenched at how good it was, following with a hum rumbling in her throat and her brows pulling together. Once she got the first taste, stopping seemed like the unthinkable. She hurriedly dipped back in and ran her tongue everywhere.

" _Asami_!" Korra wailed at the ceiling, though she was honestly pretty quiet. " _Fuck_! _Oh my god_!"

She went over and into her folds, fucking Korra hard with her tongue, relentlessly, as if to make up for all of the months that she hadn't. Korra's body twitched which pleased Asami. Gasps and cries flew out of her mouth in a more hushed manner. But she had nothing to hide, nothing to hold back.

Asami had made many men and women finish before, but those times were all for their own personal pleasure and release. This was different, so entirely different and new that it frighted a bit of her. She was feeling selfish. Asami wanted Korra to finish for _her_ and her only. She wanted to prove to herself that she could make Korra feel the way that other people have done to her in the past, but she wanted to be the best.

Asami unwillingly detached her tongue and mouth from Korra's pussy, and the heavily panting woman with now messy haired whined at the loss of warmth and pressure. This would only last a short moment though, for Asami replaced her mouth with three fingers. She began to rub and massage Korra's clit in slow circles at first, then beginning to pick up the pace. She leaned up and hovered her body over Korra so she could get a front row seat to the show and just watch how much pleasure Korra was enduring.

She noticed that the look on Korra's face was a bit frustrated as she moaned quietly and quivered, like she was sucking in a breath that she didn't need to. Asami didn't want her to hide how she felt.

"Don't hold back," Asami breathed in a demanding yet seductive tone, all while keeping her purposeful gaze that made Korra's stomach twist when she squinted her eyes open. "I want everyone around here to know how I make you feel."

She pressed harder on the aching clit after her statement, hoping that this would finalize her point. Korra took this and ran with it. She began to moan and _scream_ loudly, very loudly. It flowed through Asami's ears and left her brain to mush. She bit her bottom lip at hearing the occasional profanity and even her name while staring down at Korra. She was in a frenzy of emotions, they both were.

" _Shit_ , Korra." She breathed to herself, but Korra heard her anyway.

Asami wanted to make Korra feel better than she ever has before. She was determined to make Korra finish so hard that she would forget _everything_ ; her phone number, her past lovers, Kuvira, her own name. Korra would only remember the name of the person who brought her this much pleasure.

"Please don't stop. Don't stop."

Korra's body began to tremble as she clutched Asami's back, and they both knew what was going to happen soon. Asami kept playing with the bud until she quickly pressed her tongue back on the area. She did not want to miss the chance to actually _taste_ Korra. She swirled her tongue and created all kinds of shapes and patterns while moaning softly, and it sent harsh vibrations through Korra's body. That seemed to do it for her.

" _AH,_ _ASAMI_!"

Korra grabbed the bed sheets so tightly that she swore she'd make holes. Her legs shook uncontrollably in Asami's touch, and then her body stiffened all together. Her teeth gritted as she squeezed her eyes shut to feel every last hit of her orgasm. Korra's unfamiliar, new, _delicious_ wetness flowed into Asami's mouth. She lapped up all that she could.

A new feeling washed over Asami as she studied Korra as if she were a car; seeing how her gears worked when at the peak of pleasure. The feeling was hot, heavy, intense, and strangely _satisfying_. She tried to come up with what it could be, but the only partially reasonable answer was something that she wasn't ready for, not in the slightest. She pushed it to the back of her mind just as quickly as it came to the front and went back to focusing on easing out Korra's orgasm.

_She's so beautiful._

Korra let out a shaky breath. Asami watched her stomach and chest go up and down in a rotten pattern, along with her breasts.

_I don't deserve to see this, or to have her in this way._

The sight and sounds were mesmerizing and Asami quickly became _obsessed_. She wanted it to happen again; to see and hear Korra scream her name behind gritted teeth with clenched eyes and fists and a light layer of sweat that made her perfect body glisten in the dim light.

So that's exactly what she did. Asami continued to lick, suck, press on and bite Korra's clit in hunger to experience a possible second orgasm. Harder this time around.

" _Fuck_!" Korra yelled into the thick air. She had barely calmed down from her first release and Asami was already at it again. The sensitivity of her clit made the pleasure feel twice as good, which she honestly thought was impossible.

Korra's head dug its way back into the pillow underneath it, her back making an arch over her bed. Asami decided to double stimulate her. She slipped one finger past her soaking folds, humming quietly at the new feeling of wet and warmth inside. Korra's moans and breathing picked up immediately. Next thing they knew, Asami had two fingers filling up the tan woman.

She curled them in exploration until she hit a spot in her walls that seemed to be just the right place. Korra cried out in confirmation, her brows furrowed and one hand left the sheets to grip Asami's head, tangling and knotting the raven hair in between her fingers.

"Shit, shit _shit_." Korra winced. She pushed Asami's head even closer into her clit.

In her past experiences with women in bed, Asami was sometimes annoyed at the extra greed and sharp nails digging into her skull. However, this was _Korra_. She found her own self getting soaked at the pressure that Korra was creating for herself _with_ _her_. She wanted her partner to use her like this. The pounding need between her legs grew almost painfully, but this was her main priority.

Korra's legs shook again, more violently this time as her second orgasm was collecting only about three minutes after the first one. Asami wrapped her free arm around one of Korra's thighs to hold her down. Her burning skin stung Asami's hands momentarily.

A soft, practically silent sound escaped Korra's mouth when her body completely stiffened. Asami could have sworn that she heard her name follow after, but was honestly too busy on letting Korra ride this one out. Korra's orgasm face would be something that Asami knew she would never get used to. That, and also the way she tasted when she finished. It almost seemed _wrong_ for someone's orgasm to taste so sweet rather than a bit tangy or sour.

Asami saw Korra's body slowly stop shaking, and she reluctantly released her mouth and fingers after sucking up every last bit. She went upwards and hovered over her lover as she calmed down.

 _Lover. My lover?_ She decided that now wasn't the time to dwell. _My partner._

"You are ... " Korra paused, locking eye contact with green eyes. Butterflies filled Asami's chest when she finally got to look at them. Her eyelids were fluttering, she was in a beautiful daze.

"You are _fucking_ _incredible_ , Asami Sato."

She smiled wider than she should have. Feeling this proud of herself for pleasing someone else was also new. But what wasn't new when it came to her and Korra?

Korra managed to lift her head enough to connect her lips with Asami's. She could taste herself, and didn't mind one bit. The kiss was just another new thing to add to the list. It was the most soft and passionate one they had had yet; somehow but definitely topping their very first kiss at the club. Asami slid a hand carefully over Korra's cheek to cup it, and Korra wrapped her arms around her neck to bring her in closer. Their breasts and naked bodies touching again.

They stayed like that for a few minutes, kissing tenderly with a different meaning, until Korra's plans finally took over. She moved her hold to Asami's back to firmly grip it, and in the next second Asami was now the one on the bottom.

She looked up at Korra when their lips separated. So much excitement filled her body. She'd _never_ been this excited during sex before, but the way that Korra was looking down at her told her everything that she needed to know.

A; she was in the best of hands. B; she was about to get her fucking world rocked.

Just when she thought that making Korra feel good would be the best pleasure she would ever get, she was proven wrong. Korra steadily brought her fingers to Asami's pussy, and they both let out soft sighs as they sunk into each other.

Slim, rough but also smooth and gentle fingers glazed her over, playing in the wetness that had now seeped on to her thighs. Korra swirled around everything at first to just get that beginning feeling. Their eyes stayed locked, and both of their bright colors were both noticeably darker than ever.

Then, anything that Asami could try to think of was instantly forgotten. Korra plunged two fingers into her to be met with slick walls. She shut her eyes so that everything she was feeling would be more real.

"Asami." Korra said in the lowest voice she had ever used, it shocked the both of them at first. "Look at me."

That's what Korra wanted. She wanted Asami to know exactly who made her feel this special.

The eye contact wasn't awkward, not at all. It was like they were speaking to each other in a different language that neither of them fully understood. Though they knew what was being said.

Asami's eyes fluttered and struggled a bit to stay open, but she did want to look at Korra. _Korra_. _Korra's_ _fingers_.

More moans and profanities of pure bliss left Asami's mouth. She bit her lip to attempt to silence her screams, but the task seemed useless anyway. She was a mess, completely losing herself in the other woman's touch.

In that moment, it was only her and Korra. It was only their hot, sex coated bodies smoothly tangled together, their raging heart beats and screaming moans that would surely disturb the neighbors, and their emotions for each other being displayed in the most intimate way possible.

Korra dipped her head into the crook of Asami's neck and went to work there. She nibbled on her jaw at first, then the top of her ear that drove the pale woman insane. Asami gasped sharply. Korra's puffy lips finally gave attention to her neck, and began to kiss and bite.

Asami found herself needing more of something to hold on to, or more specifically she just wanted to hold on to Korra. She removed her grip on the bed sheets and latched her hands on to Korra's strong back, noticing her own body heating up even more as she got a feel of the exposed muscles. A hiss slipped out of Korra's mouth and sizzled against Asami's neck. She felt the muscles move tightly under her finger tips. She dug into them even more at that, her nails beginning to claw at the hot brown skin.

Nothing about this was mindless sex, though, like she'd had so many times with people who were now nothing but strangers to her. This was intense love-fucking. _Love_ _making_ , the kind that Asami didn't see herself fit to deserve, but Korra did it anyways. She was making love to her.

Asami had no other choice but to wonder what planets had to align for this to be her reality.

" _Shit_ , right there!" Asami cried in one quick breath.

What she desired was to make more marks on Korra's body in a way of _claiming_ her. She'd given the front of her body plenty of hickeys that definitely wouldn't go away for days, but a few more marks couldn't hurt.

Korra then began to suck on her neck harder and used her teeth, trying to leave bite marks against the pale skin. She twisted her fingers in a different way inside Asami, exploring her insides to grasp any and all information she could. She edged against the tight walls in a 'come here' movement. Asami's legs started to waver. Her eyes rolled to the back of her head as she arched her back up into Korra's hovering body.

"You can let go." Korra assured into her ear. "Let go for me, Asami."

Her words were so soft and full of nothing but care and trust. So much trust.

She ran her hands over the beating clit and rubbed in determination. Asami knew what she was feeling, she had felt it too vise versa only moments ago.

She felt like crying for a moment, that's just how good everything about this was. She quickly realized that it would be utterly humiliating to cry during their first time, so she held back the runny-ness of her eyes.

As soon as Asami released another groan, she felt a wet slab soak up everything she had to offer. Korra was sucking on her clit harshly while gazing up at her. Her blue eyes were deep and hot. Asami arched and moaned again, the loudest one yet, at the sight of Korra in between her legs. She was about to dig all of her fingers into Korra's hair just so she could grip something properly, but one of her hands was taken before she could.

Korra made their fingers intertwine and rested their connected hands on Asami's left thigh. Asami's entire insides churned pleasantly at it all. The newfound intimacy; holding someone's hand tightly while they fuck you senseless and make an insane amount of direct eye contact from in between your thighs.

" _KORRA_!" She called out like a prayer to god. "Ah, Korra! _Shit_!"

Asami was getting higher and higher until her legs jolted up, and she had finished. Her orgasm hit her almost unexpectedly and extremely hard. So hard that every muscle inside of her body clamped, and then she felt like she was flying. The only thing holding her down was Korra's hand holding hers.

Everything that she tried to remember was still forgotten, long gone, and she wasn't sure when anything would fully come back to her. Or when she'd fully recover. The only thing that Asami knew then was Korra. Korra, _Korra_. Lovely, amazing, caring, way too attractive, _crazy_ good at sex Korra.

"You're so fucking beautiful." Asami heard from above her, though she could hardly process it. Behind her closed eyes she knew that she was being stared at, studied. She didn't mind or care, in fact, she quite liked it a lot.

When she finally came to and settled down, she opened her eyes hesitantly, a small part of her terrified that this had all been some sick dream and she wasn't even at Korra's apartment then. But she was proven wrong. Her favorite blue eyes were there; Korra was there.

"Korra." It was a confirmation she said aloud to herself in a haze. She then quickly leaned up to kiss her favorite pair of brown lips. She tasted herself. Their lips moved against each others slowly as they both calmed down from all of the highs that they hit. Asami had no idea how many times she had finished. Her aching body made it feel like about ten insanely hard orgasms.

She was happy, so very happy and full and free.

Their lips parted, and Asami took this chance to kiss Korra's forehead softly. Asami wasn't used to this, to being so loving and tender after sex. She didn't want it to scare her. After that, a large part of her was done with being scared. So she wasn't. She chose not to be.

"Oh no." Korra shook her head with a wide smirk on her face. "We're not done yet."

* * *

The two of them made love to each other for who knows how much longer into the night. After each orgasm hit Asami, it felt like another hour but also only five minutes had passed. They lost track of time, only caring about each other.

Asami had never experienced anything like this. First she just assumed that something this good could just be rare, but that thought went away when Korra began to ride her face.

Korra's hands gripped on to her headboard and her knuckles nearly went white at how tight of a grasp she had. Asami grew to love this angle of Korra instantly. She could see her stomach and breasts shake violently then stiffen when she was close, could feel Korra's thighs clench around her head, and all of her wetness flowed into her mouth easily.

She realized that a 'good fuck' wasn't _rare_ , but that this was just an entirely new feeling. She'd never been with someone like this when they reached such a deep emotional level. Asami never wanted what they had to stop.

The sounds of Korra's moans, the feeling of her fingers and mouth all over her body, they would live with her forever, and she liked that probably _too_ much. Forever was a strong word. Something inside of Asami knew that this is how things were supposed to be, how things should _always_ be. Forever.

But forever was a strong word.

* * *

Hours later, Korra lifted the heavy comforter up and they both crawled under it, quietly giggling like children who had just done something mischievous. Korra leaned over to the night table and turned off the lamp. They now laid in the darkness of the room as it cooled down. Asami moved closer into her partner's proximity, laying her head on the bare shoulder with Korra's arm wrapped under her neck.

They smelled of sex and hot passion, but that didn't bother Asami. She actually considered it to be her smelling like Korra, and vise versa. That was a good thing. A great thing.

Their hands met each other's again underneath the comforter, and their fingers locked. A warm feeling filled Asami's chest when their legs drooped over each others. She looked up to the other woman, and though she couldn't see her well in the dark, she had a strong feeling that they were both smiling fondly.

"I am so lucky." Korra sighed quietly, turning her head to the now pretty faint moon light that barely peered through her curtains.

"Me too." Asami said in the same tone after a few silent moments.

Though both statements were said more to themselves than to each other.


	22. chapter twenty two

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> longest chapter so far !! (7k words)

Korra stirred under the covers as she began to ( unfortunately ) wake up. She kept her eyes closed though, still half asleep, and began to feel around her bed. She was searching for the body that was supposed to be right next to hers, but nothing was there. This was when her eyes finally shot open.

"Sami?" She croaked out in a whisper. "Asami?"

Asami wasn't there.

A slight sense of panic flushed over her as she scanned around the room. The part of the comforter that wasn't covering her was lifted, and her bedroom door was open by just a small bit. Korra quickly rolled out of her bed, her naked body hissing at the cold temperature, and made her way over to the long dresser. She dug around in a hurry and threw on a large graphic shirt with baggy shorts.

Korra then was caught up in an unfamiliar smell that floated into her room. She scrunched her nose, then finally left her bedroom and walked through the other rooms to get to the kitchen.

When she entered, her heart swelled to full capacity. There stood her favorite person caught up at the stove while peering at an open book; a cookbook. Her back was facing Korra, so she hadn't noticed her presence yet. Korra used this advantage to admire her, to take in the morning Asami.

She quickly noticed that she was draped head to toe in _Korra_. Her hair was up in a falling bun with one of Korra's blue ponytail holders, she wore the same tank top from last night, ( before it was ripped off and thrown elsewhere ) her legs were covered with a pair of Korra's sweatpants, and she even had on a pair of her house slippers.

Korra smiled. She smiled brightly.

"Asami?" She spoke up to grab her attention. Asami turned around quickly with a shocked face, then it settled. Korra was almost taken aback at how beautiful she was, as always.

"You're here." Korra said and sighed to herself softly as she made her way into the kitchen. She leaned her upper body against the wrap around counter, straight across from Asami at the stove.

"Why wouldn't I be?"

Embarrassment rushed to her cheeks. "Oh, uh I-I don't know. I guess I just assumed that yo-"

"You thought I left." She finished Korra's rambling with a statement rather than a question. A flash of hurt was shown on her face, and Korra picked up on it. She instantly felt guilty for pinning Asami at such a low level. She wanted to lie and say otherwise, but what good would lying do for her or them?

"I'm sorry." Her head dropped as she scratched her cheek.

"Don't say sorry. I can't lie and say I haven't done it to others before." Asami came around the counter to meet Korra. She cupped her head in her hands, brushing her cheek with her thumb tenderly. Her green eyes glistened as a smile appeared on her face. 

"I'm here though, okay? I'm not leaving." Her words were said with so much sincerity that Korra found it hard to _not_ believe her. Korra nodded her head. A warm feeling coiled in her stomach; butterflies. Asami was good at giving her butterflies.

"Good." Korra sighed again, finding the ability to relax when she looked over to the other side of the kitchen. "So, I see you're making breakfast. I thought you said you weren't the best cook."

Asami dropped her hands and let out a nervous chuckle. She went back around the counter and kind of hid her face from Korra in a way while taking out a mug from one of the cupboards. 

"Well, I'm not, but I wanted to do something, uh ... _special_ for you."

Korra was more than glad for her darker skin in that moment, because if she was only a little bit lighter there would most definitely be an apparent shade of red on her cheeks. She didn't want to be nervous, though, so instead she stuck best to what she was good at; making unnecessary comments. 

"After what you did last night you really think I deserve more?"

Asami spun around quickly with her hands at her sides in fists. Her eyes were wide and the blush on _her_ cheeks was obviously there. She scrunched her nose in disapproval at the statement.

"Korra!" She shouted out.

Korra let out a small laughing fit at her reaction. "Hey, I'm allowed to praise you."

"Th- thank you, then." Asami's stiff form softened when she began to make coffee for herself using the machine, though she still didn't make eye contact. "And _yes_ you deserve more, Korra."

Those words were also said with much sincerity, but Korra didn't like the way they sounded. She tried to ignore it, but couldn't erase the feeling that Asami had meant something else by it. 

"You're sweet." Is what she said instead of prying.

Just then, the loud pounding sound of feet came in their direction. Korra turned to look at the kitchen arch entrance to see that Naga was entering. She smiled greatly when the dog arrived and bent down to her level to pet her good morning. Naga rolled on to her back to let Korra scratch her stomach. She then looked to the dog's food bowls, but noticed that there was a small bit of leftover food there.

"You fed Naga?" Korra asked.

"Yeah, is that okay?"

Naga stood on her four feet abruptly, walking around the counter to shove her large head on the back of Asami's legs. Asami crouched down to pet the dog as well. 

"Of course." Korra responded. Something about Asami waking up earlier than her to make breakfast and feed her dog sent heat rushing to the back of her neck and the tips of her fingers. The gestures were small, simple even, but it still put a large smile on Korra's face at the thought.

"Breakfast should be ready soon, by the way. I just have to put the batter on the stove."

"Pancakes?"

"For you, yeah. For me I'll put together some fruit and yogurt. Maybe eggs, too."

"How long have you been up? It's only," She glanced at the clock in the corner of the counter to read it,"Ten."

"Not long, actually. I originally woke up at seven thinking I had to go in for work, but then remembered that all businesses directly connected to the gala are closed for a few days following. _Then_ I fell back asleep but woke up again at around nine and just decided to make yo- uh, _us_ breakfast."

Korra listened to the short ramble like she was being serenaded with a poem. She leaned over the counter again, a smirk playing over her lips at a new idea that came to mind. She started to drum her fingers on the counter top. 

"You uh, you didn't shower yet, right?" She eventually managed to get out while attempting to push away her unnecessary nervousness. 

Asami turned to meet her gaze with innocent, curious eyes.

"No. Why do you ask?"

* * *

Asami hissed quietly at the cold tile that met her back, but her body was immediately warmed up when Korra's front pressed up against her. Every part of their wet bodies touched, and the parts that couldn't meet were grazed lovingly with soft, hot hands. 

Korra leaned up to connect their lips in a hungry kiss. She felt Asami smile into it as her hands found Korra's back and pulled her even closer. Korra's hands made it to her waist easily, slowly stroking up and down the curves that she was able to fully explore for the first time the previous night.

They both let out sighs a moans at all different volumes, sending vibrations down each other's throat. Korra shivered at the feeling; at all of it. Her hard nipples pressed against Asami's when she lowered her mouth to her neck. Asami tilted her head and groaned when Korra's lips began to suck and nibble at the skin.

In the past twelve hours, Korra had more than passed the line of intimacy that she had ever been with when with other people. But now, there were no other people. It was just her and Asami, kissing roughly in the steamed shower. It was almost too hard of a pill for Korra to swallow. This was all _real_. 

Her and Asami had spent hours making love, and a part of her still refused to believe it. Asami had let her touch her in all of the ways that she'd imagined, and vise versa. The feeling of Asami's lips, tongue, fingers, legs, thighs for the first time - it was all still fresh in her mind. Korra hoped and _prayed_ that this would last. She wasn't sure she'd be able to handle it if it didn't.

A low groan released past Asami's gritted teeth when Korra sucked on a particular spot on her neck. She felt her fingers dig deeper into her back muscles. Instead of stiffening at the touch, she eased and melted into it. All Korra wanted was for Asami to continue touching her. 

" _Korra_." Asami winced, her eyes shut tightly. Korra smirked against her neck and licked the spot one last time before her lips ventured south.

She made sure to kiss, praise, and admire every part of the body before her. She couldn't stop thinking about how truly lucky she was. Korra kissed everything; Asami's ear, jaw, and collarbone until she reached her breasts. Korra remembered seeing them for the first time last night and just staring at them, trying to take in how beautiful they were. However in this setting, they were even better and _somehow_ even more arousing. Perfectly perky mounds and tinted brown nipples were coated with water droplets. They sat on Asami's chest like a goddess had carved them.

Then she wondered for a moment if _Asami_ was the goddess herself.

Korra took one breast in her mouth and began to suck on it hard, while taking the other in her hand and twisting the nipple. A loud gasp instantly left Asami's mouth, much to her approval that Korra was doing everything right. She stimulated each breast like that for awhile until she switched to give them equal attention. Asami's hips left the tiled wall, bucking into Korra's harshly, _begging_ for pleasure in her most sensitive and heated area.

Korra couldn't help but smirk and chuckle lowly at her impatience. She wanted to keep this going for as long as possible, but it seemed like Asami couldn't wait much longer as her entire body began to squirm. Her fingers tugged on Korra's wet locks, burying into her scalp. 

A finger slipped in between soaking folds at last. Asami nearly lost herself right there. 

" _Oh_ ," She breathed heavily, her chest rising up and down in quick patterns. Korra's mouth left her breast so she could watch Asami's face as she pleasured her; as she hopefully made her feel better than anyone else has before. 

That was a strong trait that both women shared when it came to each other.

Another finger entered Asami, causing her to whimper. She bit her lip while squeezing her eyes closed and hung on to Korra's body for dear life. Low sighs accidentally slipped out of Korra's mouth, but she didn't care. Neither of them did, of course. The feeling of having her fingers deep inside of Asami was almost too much. She felt like she was seeing stars just by looking at her unravel like this. It quickly became her favorite thing to watch.

She kissed Asami again, their tongues met only seconds after. She continued to mercilessly fuck her with her fingers and bit her lower lip, pulling it back a bit as she leaned away from the kiss. Korra then twisted her fingers in a certain way that she now knew Asami liked so much, and the other woman bucked her hips sharply.

All kinds of things flew from her mouth as she was so near falling over the edge, including Korra's name in that certain husky tone of hers. Korra found her own pussy gushing with more wetness at the things that echoed from the shower walls.

Korra stared at her partner with hungry, determined eyes as she pumped faster. She then curled her fingers against Asami's inner walls and hit _the_ spot. In approval, Asami's head and back arched from the tile and into Korra's body. Her legs began to tremble then shake violently. Her breathing pattern picked up until all that came out were inaudible words, but mostly moans of pure satisfaction.

A few more pumps and Asami had completely come undone. Her hold on Korra's body would have been considered painful if she didn't enjoy it so much. Asami's hip movements changed from slow rolls to bucks as Korra's fingers started to massage her clit to let her orgasm wash over. It made her even more turned on at the fact that she made Asami so unstable like this.

Asami happened to cum again, harder, only about a minute after the first one hit her. She screamed into the steamed air, only being muffled a small bit by the running shower water. Korra's name was clearly heard a number of times.

"You, you ..." Asami attempted to catch her breath to speak, but failed at the new sight in front of her. Korra's fingers entered her own mouth, sucking up all of Asami's wetness that had spilled on to them.

Korra moaned at the taste of Asami as it ran down her throat easily; it was way too good to be true. A smirk was about to ply on to her lips if not for Asami's mouth taking over. The other woman kissed her with passion, lust and excitement. Asami's hands traveled to her hips to get a good grip, then quickly pushed her into the cold tile.

" _Shit_!" Korra winced at the impact. Asami laughed softly while looking at her with something flickering in her eyes. It captivated Korra. 

"It's cold, isn't it?"

"Yeah, I'll say."

"We can move this to your bed if you'd lik-"

"No!" She exclaimed with wide eyes, but they began to narrow as the pulsing between her legs grew harder and harder to ignore. "Just fuck me here _now_." 

Korra enclosed her in another kiss before she could respond. Asami glady kissed back with just as much force, tilting her head to deeper the kiss and gasping.

Asami didn't waste a second with Korra's command. Three of her fingers flew to her clit only short moments after their lips and tongues met. Korra sighed, _moaned_ , when Asami pressed down and began to rub around the clit slowly to get her going. Only she didn't need a 'get going.' She was already so turned on by Asami's wet body, wet folds, and her moans that she needed the right amount of pleasure almost urgently. No teasing. _She_ _needed_ _Asami_.

" _More_." Korra sent out another demand in a shaky voice. 

Asami did just that.

She kissed down Korra's body in every place that she knew Korra loved. Instead of sucking on her breasts, she pinched her erect nipples harshly, pulling and tugging on them. Korra bit her bottom lip and gritted her teeth, sighs escaped past them as she closed her eyes shut to keep the pleasure in. Asami then knelt down to the shower floor. She kept one hand on one of Korra's breasts to massage it, and the other went to Korra's thigh to hold her steady for what she was about to do.

Korra's bud was standing out past her dripping folds; dripping with both arousal and the shower water. Asami _admired_ the throbbing clit and didn't even realize when a sigh left her mouth. She instantly leaned in and took a long, painfully slow lick. Korra couldn't believe that she hadn't come undone yet at just that. Her hips twitched at the contact. 

" _Shit_ , _shit_." 

Asami went to work straight away, and Korra found her hands coming to rest on top of her head to steady herself and push her further in, if even possible. Asami continued to lick and suck and bite and press on Korra's clit just as she did last night. Korra felt as if she was flying, or collapsing, she wasn't sure. All she knew was that she had never felt so much pleasure in her entire life.

" _Fuck_!"

" _Asami_ , _oh_ _my_ _god!_ " She tilted her head back into the cold wall as she felt her entire body tremble and heat up.

Groans rumbled in the back of Korra's throat, and it started to become much more difficult to keep them there. They shot out of her mouth quickly. This only made Asami work her mouth with even more determination and desire. While she sucked on Korra's clit, her tongue swirled around it as well; drawing patterns, shapes and pictures all over the bud. She lapped up all of Korra's wetness and squeezed the breast that she still held in one hand.

Korra moved one of her hands from Asami's head to place it over the hand she had on her own breast. She moaned loudly again and brought herself to look down. The sight alone made her lose herself completely. Asami's green eyes were dark, more jade rather than their usual emerald in that moment. They stared up at her with so much meaning behind them. Korra couldn't determine exactly what it was, but right then she didn't care. 

She finished, but Asami didn't stop. She came again and came a third time until Asami's mouth reluctantly pulled away from her overstimulated pussy. Korra felt weak and unstable. She could hardly see straight, her vision blinding her with white pleasure. The only think she could actually feel was Asami's lips on hers, kissing her with the same meaning that hid behind her eyes.

They held each other close behind the stream of water, but no longer pressed against the tile. Korra smiled when the long kisses turned into short, loving pecks. She was in a trance, and Asami put her there, though she didn't mind at all. She pulled away from her lips and planted tender kisses over Asami's cheeks and shoulders, the both of them giggling to each other. She looked into now emerald eyes again and her heart leaped.

"You're so beautiful." Korra breathed, and Asami melted.

"So are you." She responded truthfully. "You have no idea."

* * *

Asami gently washed Korra's back with one of the washcloths that hung in the shower. At this point, they had passed their highs of ecstasy and moved on to washing each other. Their bodies were equally soapy. It was hard for Korra to _not_ stare at Asami's breasts as they were covered with soap now, but every time she was caught doing so, they just laughed under the water and shared a light kiss. It's not like Asami wasn't staring at hers, anyway.

Just when Korra thought that fucking someone in the shower was the farthest that intimacy could go, the second Asami asked if she could wash her that thought immediately changed. Asami lathered her in soap, making sure to scrub down everywhere. There were few times when they made eye contact, and when they did Korra's stomach flipped. Asami was seriously way too good at giving her butterflies.

Once Korra went under the shower stream to wash off the soap, she took another washcloth and worked on Asami. She went slowly, as if to savor the moment for as long as she could. Asami sighed at the touch when Korra's fingers ran through her hair to wash it.

Korra stared at her from behind and brought herself to kiss the back of her neck while holding onto her shoulders. Her eyes fixated on the way her body tensed.

"I think I like you more than I originally planned." Korra admitted against Asami's back, then went back to washing her. 

That was the truth, and she knew it for sure then.

Korra was undeniably falling in love with Asami Sato.

"Me too." Asami said a few short minutes later, and those were the last words they spoke until they got out of the shower.

Both statements were said more to themselves than to each other. 

* * *

It was the afternoon now, and the weather was just great. The sun was shining of course and the clouds were generously parted. Both women were sat on the living room couch with Korra's head leaned on Asami's shoulder. They were both just on their phones minding their business when a loud bark interrupted their comfortable silence. Asami turned her head in the direction of where the sound came from; the kitchen.

Naga then came dashing into the living room with a wiggling, eager body.

"You think she wants to go on a walk?" Asami suggested.

"You're pretty good at being a dog mom."

"Shut up." Asami nudged her elbow into Korra's sides and chuckled.

"Nope." Korra chimed with a delighted smile. "You wanna walk her with me, though?"

She planted a gentle kiss on her cheek, causing Korra to heat up and stiffen a bit. "Of course."

Asami ended up wearing Korra's clothes for the entire day, it seemed. Korra was obsessed with that fact. They both changed into casual attire that could be worn outside and matched the hot weather and headed out. Korra was lucky that Naga wasn't much of a puller when on the leash, or else she would most definitely be flat on the ground due to her size. 

They walked down the slightly busy streets of Korra's neighborhood until they finally got to the quieter streets that were tucked away. They made it to the park that Korra always took Naga to, since this one was fenced in and allowed dogs off of leashes if well trained. Asami closed the gate behind them and Korra undid the leash on Naga's collar. The dog went running around in circles around them, barking loudly and happily. They laughed and smiled at Naga, who then ran off to play with some other dogs that were close by.

"Sit with me?" Asami turned to Korra and asked. Korra nodded her head when she spotted a small, empty picnic table that was near where Naga and her other dog friends were. They went over to it and sat on opposite sides.

"Now I'm thinking we should have brought food or something." Korra suggested.

"So this turns into, what? A picnic date?"

"That'd be nice."

"Remember the other picnic we had, though?"

"The one by the lake?" Korra smiled down to her wrist and fiddled with the bracelet. She hasn't taken it off once since Asami gave it to her. "How could I forget?"

"Yeah, um ..." Asami trailed off, and Korra could visibly see her breath begin to shake. "Korr-"

" _Korra_?!" A different voice, a lower voice, from close by called out. Korra turned around in her seat and her eyes lit up in excitement.

"Kuvira!"

* * *

_Kuvira?_

_Kuvira._

Asami found her eyes narrowing and her fists clenching slightly as she watched Korra's attention alter. Korra stood up from her seat and went in for a tight hug with Kuvira. Asami subconsciously paid attention to where their hands were placed; Korra's were around her waist with Kuvira's wrapped around her neck. 

They broke apart in seconds, thankfully. 

"Long time no see, huh?" Kuvira started up.

"Yeah. Where have you been?"

"Opal didn't tell you?" She cocked her head with raised brows. Korra shook her head to say no. "I've been getting ready to finally open up my own gym. Su offered to loan me some money and it was just the last bit that I needed."

"Wait, seriously? That's amazing!"

"Of course it is." Kuvira praised herself with a smug look. Korra rolled her eyes.

"Oh, Kuvira, this is Asami my," Korra took a short pause, smiling happily and excitedly over to Asami. "My _partner_."

"Partner? Well this is certainly news that you _and_ my sister kept from me." Asami stood up from the table and took Kuvira's hand which was out for a shake. It only lasted a short second before she pulled away. "Asami, hi. It's nice to meet you." 

"You too." She stated dryly, then mentally pinched herself. She was a high class business woman, she should know better than to speak to someone that she's not too fond off with the same attitude as if she was. 

Asami wanted to see if she could detect any anger, hatred, or possible jealousy in Kuvira's eyes or words, but she couldn't. There was nothing bad there, only a sincere and calm expression. 

That only made Asami hate her more.

"Wait, I kind of recognize you." Kuvira said.

Korra nudged her stomach with her elbow and huffed. "She's Hiroshi Sato's daughter."

"No, shut up for a second. That's not it."

Kuvira studied Asami with squinted eyes. Asami felt inferior under the gaze. She remembered the way Kuvira had looked the night at the club, but the lighting then was pretty awful. Now, she could see all of Kuvira. Her skin was pale, only about one shade darker than hers, and of course it was flawless and smooth. A dingle beauty mark sat right under her right eye.

Her eyes. They were a darker green than hers, maybe sage. And her eyebrows were a bit bushy but still perfectly strimmed.

She was about Asami's height it seemed, maybe a few centimeters taller. Her body was slim but her short sleeved shirt showed off her faint arm muscles. Asami couldn't lie, she was attractive. _Of_ _course_ she was attractive. She began to notice what Korra saw in her for so long. 

That only made Asami hate her even _more_.

She wondered if Korra had a type; green eyes, black hair, pale skin, taller than her. It sure looked like she did.

"I think I got it." Kuvira spoke with a sure tone. "Are you the same girl Korra was with at that club? Around the time of her birthday?"

"Uh, yeah actually that was me." Asami nodded, forcing herself to fix a smile. 

"Oh shit!" Kuvira's eyes widened and her shoulders tenses. "Did you like her then? Because if so I am so sorry about that!"

Asami blinked rapidly and stuck her head out a bit. "Wait, I'm sorry, you're ... _sorry_?"

A bit of her suddenly filled with guilt, panging her chest.

"I was kind of feeling up your girl back then I guess, which isn't okay. I swear I knew nothing about you guys, though."

Kuvira's words rung in Asami's head, making her feel dizzy momentarily. She called Korra her girl. Korra was 'her girl'. The comment shouldn't have made her stomach flutter as much as it did. She bit her bottom lip in attempt to hold back her pleased grin.

"Kuvira, it's okay, _relax_." Korra said. "Asami and I weren't together then."

"Well, good. No hard feelings then, right?"

"Of course not." Asami answered. A forced smile.

"Why are you here?" Korra turned back to look at Kuvira, her face scrunched. 

"Trying to get rid of me that easily?"/

"Maybe." Korra joked and shot Kuvira a playful smirk. "Just wondering why you're in the park by yourself. It's kind of weird."

Asami's heart sunk a little at how they interacted with each other. They were so comfortable. She had just assumed that their past only consisted of mindless sex, that they were just friend _ly_ with benefits. But she was clearly wrong. Kuvira and Korra had a strong relationship of some sort; a friendship. 

"I'll have you know that I am actually here to meet with someone."

"So Kuvira's got a _date_ , huh?" 

"You can make fun all you want, but you're here doing the same thing."

Korra turned her head again to look at Asami and beamed. "You're right about that."

Asami's heart skipped a beat at the blue eyes.

"I don't want to intrude more than I already have, so I'll be on my way and get out of your hair."

_Why does she have to be so nice?_

"When's your date getting here?" Korra asked.

Asami let out a sigh that was thankfully quiet enough for neither of them to notice. She scratched the top of her head and tried to force herself to look anywhere else, but her eyes were glued to Korra and Kuvira.

"In a few minutes, probably. They wanted to bring their dog so she chose this place."

"Alright then. Well, have fun with _whoever_ this person is."

"I'm sure you'll get all of the details from Opal soon enough if not me."

"I'll see to it." They both laughed. Asami managed to stop her eyes from rolling in annoyance. 

"Later, Korra." Kuvira began to walk off and waved goodbye. "It was nice to meet you, Miss Sato!"

"You too!" She shouted back. Once Kuvira turned around though, her face dropped. They both took back their seats at the picnic table, but not before glancing over to Naga to make sure that she was okay, which she was. 

"Asami?" Korra tapped Asami's hand on the table. "Are you good?"

"Obviously." Another thing that was dryly said. 

"Are you sure? 'Cause it doesn't seem like it. Is it about Kuvira?"

Asami didn't respond. She didn't know how to without either lying or coming off as insecure or annoying. She hated yet adored how easily Korra could read her at times.

"Listen, I know you didn't see her for the first time at the _best_ _time_ and that kind of left a bad impression of her on you. I get that. I also get that you may not be the most ... _comfortable_ with where her and I used to stand, but that's all in the past. Honestly speaking."

"I don't mean to be like this. It's just-" She took a deep breath before admitting something that was a little embarrassing. "I've never experienced this before. Like, when I saw you with her at the club it felt like my head started spinning and now-"

"Jealousy." Korra deadpanned easily. A smirk appeared on her lips and she pointed a finger in Asami's face. "You're _jealous_."

Asami fumbled for a second, looking surprised at the accusation then smacked the finger away. "No, Korra. I am not jealo-"

"I cannot believe that Asami Sato is actually _jealous_ because of _me!_ "

"What? Am I not supposed to be? I just had to have a conversation with someone who's seen you ... _naked_ countless times and had to sit there like fresh meat. Is this unattractive or something?"

" _Unattractive_?" Korra stared at her like she was out of her mind before her eyes settled back down. "You have no idea how fucking _hot_ that is."

Korra's words slurred off of her tongue in _that_ voice that made her numb. Asami felt a heartbeat start up below her stomach. She crossed her legs together to try and ease the pounding, but the way Korra's eyes focused on her from across the table didn't necessarily help her case.

"Yeah, whatever." Is all she said as a faint blush appeared on her face.

"Okay but, being real for a second, I don't want you to have anything to worry about, if that's it."

Asami looked back to her partner, and she truly did believe her words. The bubble of insecurity and fear popped. 

"Don't tell me that when you were literally jealous of Zeke just last night." She attempted to play so the serious conversation didn't have to carry on. She was still relatively new to the whole 'jealousy' thing.

Korra narrowed her eyes in a challenging way. She leaned back a bit and ran her fingers through her chopped hair briefly. Asami admired the way it flowed from just above her shoulders in the light breeze. 

"I'll admit it, I was but just a little. I am _far_ more good looking than him, anyway."

"Sure you are." She rolled her eyes.

"Don't try and hide your admiration for me, green eyes." Korra leaned closer to Asami's face from over the table. "You can't get enough of me."

Korra was right. She couldn't, but the fact wasn't so terrifying as it was to her a few months ago. Now, Asami found it to be kind of comforting. 

* * *

A little over a week had passed since the day after the gala. For a few days following, Korra and Asami didn't miss a chance to be together when they could, considering how work was postponed momentarily for the larger companies. 

Asami often came over to Korra's apartment, but today it was the opposite. Opal and Bolin have been begging to have a day with Naga, so she finally agreed to the terms. They came over early in the morning to pick her up and told Korra about what they had planned for the dog. They'd take her to the park by Korra's apartment first, then go on a hike in the reservation, go to a fast food place that offered tens of specials for dogs, and lastly to Bolin's apartment. 

Korra was glad that her two friends offered to take Naga off of her hands for the day, though. Perfect to get alone time with Asami at her place. Her uber pulled up to the tall building and she got out. She made sure to greet the doorman Lee, who had become a somewhat friend of hers. She texted Asami to let her know she was coming up.

The elevator door opened into the foyer, and Korra's eyes instantly landed on the figure leaning against the island counter in the kitchen. Asami looked up and smiled, then began speed walking over to Korra and quickly enclosed her in a hug. A _very_ tight hug. Korra hugged back, obviously, smiling as she dug her face into the raven hair. She couldn't help but to breathe in her scent and sigh.

"Well I missed you too." Korra huffed, causing Asami to pull from the hug but kept her hold on Korra's shoulders.

"Hey."

"Hi?" Korra said questionably. "Everything good here?"

"Yeah. I just got kind of lonely and bored."

"You can say you missed me, you know." 

"Alright, I missed you." Asami leaned down and pecked Korra on the lips. It's been _months_ and this still affected Korra in every way. From tensing up, to heat rushing all over her body. Her finger tips stung at the sensation. 

"Uh, um, so what's the plan for today?" She fumbled, taking her sneakers off and following Asami back into the kitchen.

"Not sure, I just wanted you over."

"If I didn't know better, I'd say you were trying to get into my pa-"

"Don't start." Asami shut her up quickly, but the grin still stayed on her face. 

Korra then suggested for a simple movie marathon in Asami's bedroom, which was agreed to. They placed a quick order for lunch which were just some sandwiches from a local salad house, then headed upstairs. Korra flopped her body on Asami's bed and let out a content sigh. 

"Didn't know you liked my bed so much." Asami had grabbed the television remote and crawled next to Korra, slightly hovering over her to peer down at the blue eyes. 

"It's so _soft_!" She screamed, shoving a pillow into her face. There was a reason behind her doing that though, and it wasn't because of the fluffy feathers that filled the pillow. It's not her fault that Asami smelled so good, that _everything_ _Asami_ smelled so good. 

After a long period of time of them trying to decide on a movie series that wasn't in the horror or thriller genre ( they tried to change things up ) they finally decided on on the _Scary Movie_ movies.

They were now about to start up the second one, but moved from the bed to the bedroom floor. Asami had the bright idea of painting Korra's nails, which took a _lot_ of convincing and ended up costing them the ending of the first _Scary_ _Movie_. Korra wasn't liking this at all.

Well, maybe she liked it a little. Only because Asami was having so much fun doing it. She knew she would have never agreed to something like this if it was anyone else, and Korra liked to think that Asami knew that too.

Korra watched Asami as she went to work, deeply in focus on not messing anything up. It was only cleaning and painting nails, but she found it alluring and inspiring. Asami's tongue would sometimes stick out for a moment, or she would bite her lower lip in concentration. Her eyebrows were furrowed in the same way that they were when her nose was deep in a book. Korra realized she had even seen Asami in a workshop or her office, and suddenly really wanted to know what she looked like in those settings if she took nail care so seriously.

Korra used the comfortable silence ( with the movie playing in the background as well, but ignored it ) to think back to how she could possibly be this lucky. She figured it must have been some insanely good karma, but from what deed? What had she done so right to get here?

She studied Asami's hair as the strands fell from her loose high ponytail. She was still wearing the same blue scrunchie she had stolen from Korra a week ago. Asami's hair was always soft and smooth. She would have reached out to play with it if it wouldn't have been such a random or awkward action. Korra's eyes traveled down to her lips. The perfect shade of darker pink and usually plump, but formed a thinner line when fixated on something, or when she was angry or upset.

Asami was way too hot when when was angry or upset.

Korra pushed that thought away and remembered what it had felt like to kiss her for the first time. Her heart soared.

She would have never imagined coming this far with Asami, who was once her best friend. Granted, they still had a long way to go. Korra knew that they would make it, though. They had to.

Asami's finger slipped when there was a 'jump scare' in the movie and the sound startled her. The nail polish on Korra's thumb shifted to her outer finger, and a curse left her mouth. Korra huffed a laugh which caught Asami's attention.

"What's so funny?"

"Nothing, green eyes." She brushed her off. 

Asami shook her head but Korra caught the smile on her lips. Her insides warmed up. Asami then began to clean off the messed up polish. Thankfully they had just started the process. Korra found herself taking a deep breath, then words started spilling out.

"I really like spending time with you, Asami. Like, I _really_ , really like it."

* * *

She couldn't find the words to respond. The obvious answer would have been 'me too' but she honestly found that unfitting, like it wasn't enough somehow. Maybe it was because words of affirmation had never been her strong suit, yet it seemed to be Korra's. 

Instead of speaking, she put down the q-tip and moved her body to sit in Korra's lap. Her strong arms wrapped around her back tightly to keep their chests close. Asami's hand cupped Korra's face. She brushed her thumb against the soft skin, feeling her faint peach fuzz and defined cheekbones. Neither of them leaned in at first, instead, they just stared at each other. Asami saw Korra's eyes turn from royal to navy in a matter of seconds, her eyelids fluttering. Her eyes were so beautiful.

Korra was so, so _beautiful_.

Suddenly her throat was filled with sand paper and her nose began to sting.

"Are- are you crying?" Korra ducked her head back in disbelief almost. 

"What?" Asami dapped her cheek, and there were certainly wet spots there. "Oh, shit." She palmed her tearing eyes shut and sniffed. She wanted to kick herself in that moment out of embarrassment. The ground could have swallowed her whole there and she wouldn't have minded.

What could she possibly be crying about? She was happy. She was so, so happy. Maybe a little too happy. 

"Hey, it's okay, but," Korra paused. "Are _you_ okay?"

Asami disregarded the question once she was met with the blue eyes again. She cupped Korra's face again and leaned in to kiss her fiercely. She knotted her fingers up in the loose brown locks. Korra sighed, already losing herself in the contact. There was no hunger or sexual desire past this, it was just a simple kiss.

A simple kiss that started a large flame in the pit of Asami's stomach, making it churn and stir. She felt Korra's lips smile against hers. Korra's lips were so soft, and so perfect. Korra was so incredibly perfect. It almost didn't seem fair. Tears pricked her eyes but she tried her best to push them down.

She did not succeed. One long tear drop slid down her face when they pulled away. Korra took her thumb and brushed it away instantly, her lips turning into a straight line. 

"I wish I had met you sooner." Asami announced before she could even think about it. She didn't regret it though, it was the truth. 

This time, Korra was taken aback by what Asami had said. Usually she was the one to spring things like this on the other, but this was different. She breathed heavily, licking her bottom lip. Asami could tell that something was caught in her throat when her lips parted open but closed a number of times. She wanted to ask- _make_ Korra tell her what she was thinking, but stayed quiet and watched the gears in her brain turn.

Korra's lips found hers again, her hands running all over Asami's clothed and exposed body. She trembled under her gentle touch and sighed. Korra pushed Asami's back on to the floor and hovered over her, their lips still connected. Asami wrapped her legs around Korra's torso. They kissed slowly and steadily until she felt them part. Her eyes opened to Korra looking down at her with flushed cheeks and a grin.

"You still have to paint my nails." She said cheekily. Asami gave her a raised eyebrow.

"Is that _really_ what you want right now?"

"Most definitely not." And they leaned back into each other, pressing their bodies together firmly. They fit so well.

Asami wasn't a fool. She knew she didn't deserve to have Korra, or what Korra had to offer for her. But said again, she wasn't a fool. She knew better than to give this up or let Korra go.

With this thought, she kissed her even harder. Pouring out all of her undefined and unspoken feelings. 


	23. chapter twenty three

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> this took me like 3 or 4 days to write. funny

Asami continued to jot down notes into her notebook as the employees' presentation went on. She was visiting the Blackstone Building that day to listen to a couple of pitches that Varrick's workers had for Future Industries. So far, she was enjoying her time in the meeting. The three women and two men in front of you were all filled with bright ideas, and she knew that if they kept this up they would definitely make it further in life somewhere. 

She sat at the opposite end of a long round table right next to her top assistant Alicia. Usually, Asami would have her take notes for her so she could review them later, but today she was in a particular mood to get busy on her own. 

Time passed rather slowly though, and at one point Asami grew a bit impatient. She'd planned this meeting to have a bit of a lengthy time period just in case, but she didn't actually think that they would take up all that they were given. Finally, after another ten too many minutes, everything that they needed to say was wrapped up. Asami spoke with the group briefly on the idea that she liked best, and told them that she would get back to them as soon as she brought her notes to her father. 

Asami and Alicia walked out of the meeting room and down a hallway when she suddenly. 

"Hey, I'm gonna go visit a friend of mine here quickly." She said to Alicia with a giddy smile behind the bite of her lower lip.

"You're in quite a rush to visit a friend." Alicia cocked an eyebrow and shot her a knowing smirk. "Could we by any chance be thinking of the same person?"

"Well actually she's not really a frie-"

"I figured. Don't worry, though. You go see your _friend_." She played out the last word as she knew exactly what Asami was about to say. Asami let out a light sigh in relief that she wouldn't have to go through an explaining process, or anything like that. 

"I promise it'll be quick, then when I get back we can meet with Varrick."

"No problem there. I'll wait for you in the lounge on the eighth floor."

"Perfect." Asami stated and she turned down a different hallway, parting from her assistant but heading towards the nearest elevator.

She stepped out of the elevator and immediately made her way to Korra's office. She suddenly felt a wave of happiness rush over her as she neared the door. A breath was caught up in her throat, but she did her best to let it go. Asami continued to bite her lip in attempt to hide her smile, though it rarely helped her case. She glanced over a bit and made eye contact with Opal. They shared a quick wave from afar until she finally made it to Korra's door.

She knocked on the door softly ( incase Korra was in the middle of something important ) three times until her favorite voice said, "Come in!"

Asami opened the door, sliding inside the office quickly and making sure to lock it behind her back afterwards. She definitely did not want to be disturbed for the next few minutes. 

" _Asami,_ hey!" Korra beamed when she looked up from the notepad she held in her hands. Her smile made Asami's heart beat even faster than it was before she locked the door. Her heart was swelling at the smile on her partner's face as she made her way closer to Korra.

Instead of Korra sitting at her desk like usual, she was leaned up against a corner of her office, against the large window to be specific. Asami took note that the blinds were raised now, rather than being lowered most of the time. She now stood right in front of Korra, purposefully trying to give their faces just the right amount of distance and closeness.

The smirk that was settled on her face seemed to be unnoticeable to Korra, but she used her obliviousness to her advantage. She toyed with the string that would pull the large blinds down as they began to speak.

"You didn't tell me you were coming in today."

"I wanted it to be a surprise." She cooed, slowly beginning to lower the blinds. 

"Well, I'm glad you're here. I just got into an argument with one of my co-workers because I took the last bag of _Oreos_ from the vending machine." Asami looked over to Korra's desk, and of course, there was an open package of Oreos sitting right next to her phase. She shook her head and chuckled softly, then turned back to her partner for the rest of the story. 

"How was I supposed to know that she wanted them? If she wanted them so badly, she could have gotten there faster than I did."

"You are just _awful_." Asami joked with furrowed brows. 

"I know." Korra said cockily. She walked away from Asami and went over to her desk to set her notepad down, then leaned against the desk and folded her arms over her chest. "So what's up with you? Why exactly _are_ you here?"

"Today I have to meet with some people who have ideas for bettering Future Industries, then a meeting with Varrick to check up and sort out a few things, but _then_ I have to go back to _my_ office to make a few calls."

"Sounds extremely boring."

"It is." She sighed, finally closing the blinds fully. "And that's exactly why I'm making sure to fit some of you into my busy schedule."

The office was now much darker, as most of the light Korra offered it was natural. Asami tied her hands behind her back and began to strut over to Korra, making sure to keep her movements as elegant and alluring as possible. Her outfit did her justice as well; her wearing a rather short, tight skirt that ended a few inches above her knees, a tight white tank top underneath her gray blouse and heels that made her much taller than she already was. If the office wasn't carpeted, she knew that the intimidating click of her heels would ring through Korra's mind. 

She didn't fail to notice how Korra's eyes slightly widened and her throat clogged until she regained herself, letting out a low sound to clear her throat. 

" _Wow_ , Asami. I'm on your _schedule_ now? Oh, this is big news. I cannot wait to tell Opal and Bolin, and maybe even my parents."

"Are you done?" Asami rolled her eyes, stepping closer and closer into Korra's personal space. She leaned in a small bit more and placed her arms on the desk, on both sides of Korra's stance to keep her there. Their bodies were practically pressed together now, their breaths shaky as they joined and synced along with their heart rates. 

She stared into Korra's eyes and admired them as they darkened right before her. Asami could see the intricate details of Korra's face as she almost forgot what her original plan was. She hooded and narrowed her own eyes as she dipped her head down. She could feel Korra's hot, unsteady breath blow on to her exposed collarbone. It made her shiver momentarily. 

"S- sorry I'm a bit excited that _the_ Asami Sato is finding a way to fit _me_ into her schedule." 

So Korra was still playing around. 

"That's nice." Asami stated, barely even knowing what Korra had just said. She leaned her head down to reach Korra's ear, letting out a groany whisper, "Can you sit up on your desk for me, please?"

Korra's only response was a barely noticeable nod as she lifted herself up onto the surface of her desk. Luckily she didn't have many things on it, and the stuff that was in the way was quickly pushed to the side. Asami then moved one of her hands and placed it on Korra's covered thigh, running it up and down smoothly, slowly, and _teasingly_. She pushed thought Korra's legs to step in between them. Their hips bumped together instantly. They both had to take a deep breath at the contact, both of them feeling the heat that the other radiated.

The medium sized room suddenly became very small as the temperature went up. 

"Korra," Asami began with that certain voice. Korra gulped, their faces were now only about an inch or two apart. "Tell me about your day."

"Wh- what?" She stuttered. Asami went back to her ear to repeat herself in a hushed tone, squeezing her hand around Korra's thigh tightly. 

"Well, I actually woke up pretty earl-" She was abruptly cut off when Asami's tongue met her neck, almost completely blinding her vision within the same second. Asami pressed her body into Korra's as much as she could.

" _Go_ _on_." She urged. 

"Uh, I- I woke up early and took Naga for a quick walk to-" Korra stopped her talking to let out a soft, quiet moan past her teeth. Asami harshly bit down on her neck to urge her to keep going. "To use the bathroom. Then I came here, obv- obviously and started with some sketches for a new poster for some," A breath. "Uh, some small business."

Of course Asami cared about Korra's day and wanted to hear everything that happened, but she grew tired of that quickly. Right now wasn't the time for a run down. She continued to suck on Korra's neck, aiming to leave faint love bites along the brown skin. A moan slipped out of Korra's mouth which sent vibrations down Asami's back as it rattled on to her lips.

Her hands now had a mind of their own, and she let them. Both of them moved from their places and went to the buttons and zipper on Korra's pants. Asami left her neck, deciding that was enough attention for now, and made eye contact with Korra to make sure that this was okay. The last thing she wanted was to overstep any boundaries with her.

Korra nodded her head once again, then wasted no time in smashing her lips on Asami's, their tongues meeting only seconds after. A gasp released from Asami's mouth as they eased into each other and the familiarity of their lust and impatience. Asami's hands regained their power, and quickly went to work with unbuttoning and tugging Korra's pants off until they fell to her ankles, being stopped by her shoes. Korra figured that out and kicked her shoes off along with her pants, leaving her sitting on top of her desk in only her underwear and shirt.

Asami made sure that Korra didn't stop kissing her, for now at least. She dipped her head more to deepen the kiss while pulling her legs apart even more. One of Korra's hands held onto the edge of the desk while the other sat firmly on Asami's shoulder. 

"You are _so_ fucking hot like this." Korra let out in one quick breath, pulling her lips away which caused Asami to sigh at the loss of feeling.

"Like what, exactly?" She kept her serious tone to show her own arousal. 

"Overpowering me in my place of work while dressed in your professional attire."

A fire lit inside her stomach at the confession, but she refrained from biting her lip. She wanted Korra to see how much the thought turned her on as much as it did to her. 

"Korra," Another low slur. "Am I sensing a _kink_?"

Asami gave Korra not another moment to answer as her fingers began to trace the line of Korra's underwear. Surprisingly, it was lace material rather than the straight cotton that she usually wore. Asami admired the change as she tried to ignore the burning feeling in between her own legs. Korra gasped and shamelessly bucked her hips to feel some sort of contact.

A large part of Asami wanted to keep up the teasing, to have Korra _beg_ and grovel to be fucked on her desk. However, she knew that they were on a bit of a time crunch. Plus the images of her making Korra finish hard in the past few weeks flashed in her mind vibrantly, and wanting to see that again took over any and all of her other thoughts. 

She kissed, licked and sucked on Korra's burning neck again, feeling the heat tingle against her lips. 

"Asami, my-" She panted heavily. "My- there are people around."

"Then don't be loud." Asami commanded. It wasn't a suggestion and Korra knew she had no other option than to obey. "But I know that may be a bit hard for you."

" _Fuck_ , what are you doing to me?" Korra whispered under her heavy breathing. If their faces weren't so close, Asami wouldn't have heard the comment at all.

Her fingers continued to toy with the fabric and its dampness, until she pressed three of her fingers right on to Korra's clit from the outside of the underwear. Korra shrieked, and Asami quickly moved one of her hands over her mouth to silence her. 

A new thing that she liked so much now; silencing Korra and feeling the vibrations of her sounds of pleasure against her palm. 

Her fingers finally dipped past Korra's underwear, yanking it down so it reached her knees, then fell to her ankles, then on to the floor. Korra hissed, and Asami felt it. She felt everything as she massaged Korra's clit gently. Her wetness pooled on to Asami's fingers, and she released a sigh at the fact. This was only for her. _She_ made Korra feel this good.

Asami circled and drew around the throbbing clit as Korra's hips rolled into the touch, her eyes shutting and grip on Asami's shoulder tightening at the sensation. Her chest went up and down as her breathing increased and got caught in her throat. Asami's teeth grazed her neck, pinching at her sensitive area right below where her ear ended. 

She teased Korra with this, only giving her the start of what she had to offer for her partner. Her fingers rolled around, pulling her wetness all over her pussy as it continued to seep out. 

The sounds of people just on the other side of the locked door mixing with Korra's muffles and her own pants drove Asami insane. At one point, she couldn't take it herself anymore, and plunged two fingers inside of Korra without warning. She slipped past her soaked folds easily. 

Korra's back arched in the air as her nails dug into the wooden desk. She whimpered against Asami's hand and continued to roll and jerk her hips so she could feel everything she was being given. 

" _Shh_ ," Asami slurred her hot words onto Korra's neck, then brought her head up so they could make eye contact. "You don't want everyone to hear, do you?"

She fucked Korra _hard_. No mercy, almost wanting for Korra or both of them to break and have everyone know what was going on in there. The desk shook a bit on its stands. Asami curled her fingers against Korra's walls, earning herself more hardly audible moans under her hand.

"Or is that _exactly_ what you want? For everyone on this floor to be aware of you getting fucked in your office?" The words just kept coming before Asami could process what she was even saying. "Is that what you want, Korra? For _everyone_ to hear how good I make you feel in such a professional setting?"

The words made Korra's entire body jerk harshly as she shut her eyes again, taking in Asami's talk and her fingers.

Talking dirty was never Asami's strongest suit, she mostly relied on her actions to take over the other person in bed, but with Korra it was entirely different. A new way of making her partner see stars verbally was yet another thing that she grew to like quickly. 

For obvious reasons, Korra was slightly terrified of their acts of sexual desire being heard by a neighboring co-worker. Though she had to admit, the feeling of the risk only drove her more mad. Asami's hand harshly trying her best to keep her quiet while her other hand did wonders to the inside of her body- she felt her orgasm creeping up at her just thinking that this was truly her reality.

A poorly muffled moan seeped past Asami's hands, and she quickly pressed her hand harder on Korra's mouth which only caused another whimper.

The sight was beyond incredible; her hand covering Korra's mouth to muffle her moans and what would have been screams, Korra's eyes rolling to the back of her head then shutting tightly, her chest heaving and trying to contain as many noises as it could.

Asami worked on her neck more, peppering only light kisses this time that she knew sent shocks down Korra's spine. "Are you close?" 

Korra's legs quivered roughly, tightening and locking. Asami curled her fingers again inside of Korra's pussy to tug at her pulsing walls, edging her on until she finally let go. Her orgasm hit her hard, as it always did with Asami, but this time in particular it came to her with absolutely _no_ _mercy_. Asami kept fucking her so her orgasm would fade out comfortably, all while nipping at her neck.

Asami couldn't hear much of what Korra was trying to get out, but she was sure that her own name slipped out a few times. 

Once Korra calmed down a bit, trying to find where the ground was again, Asami's drenched fingers pulled out of her. Korra sighed at the emptiness, but it was quickly replaced with another feeling when she saw Asami begin to kneel on the floor. 

Neither of them had time to think properly before Asami dragged her tongue all over Korra's pussy, licking up all of the immeasurable pleasure she gave her. Her tongue ran over her still sensitive and beating clit, which made Korra jump slightly and shake due to the warm, wet contact. Asami licked everywhere, and made sure to get everything she could.

" _Fuck_." Korra whimpered quietly, placing one hand on top of the head between her trembling legs.

Asami thought about making Korra finish again, and maybe again, but unfortunately remembered that they couldn't just stay locked up in Korra's office for the rest of the day. She soaked up the rest of what was left, and stood up straight again. Korra shook her head as a dopy, dazed smile came over her face. She leaned forward, placing a loving kiss on her lips, tasting a bit of herself. 

Korra pulled back and ran her fingers through her slightly messy hair. "What was _that_ for?"

"I told you," Asami's voice was higher pitched at this point, but still low from trying to get over what had just went down. "I wanted to _surprise_ you."

"Well you certainly did. And have you been working on your sex talk for me, _Miss_ _Sato_?"

That name with Korra's tone of voice ...

"Uh, n- no." Asami fumbled, darting her eyes away momentarily. 

"So, is it _my_ turn to try and surprise _you_ , now?"

Korra wrapped her arms around Asami's torso to bring her body closer in. She immediately dove into her neck with her teeth.

" _Korra_ ..." Asami breathed out subconsciously. She wished for nothing more that they could continue, for Korra to take her in her office the same way she just did. This just couldn't happen now.

"I- I have a meeting."

"Fuck your meeting." Korra grumbled, dipping in more to bite the top of Asami's ear. The action made her stomach churn and flutter.

She was so close to obliging. One more move and she would have called Alicia to cancel her meeting with Varrick. But she knew she couldn't. Reluctantly, Asami pulled her neck from Korra's lips to look her in the eyes. The blue that swirled around her dilated pupils nearly fully consumed her then. 

"No, like I _seriously_ have a meeting." She deadpanned instead.

" _Seriously_?" Korra mocked with a disappointed pout. "So you're gonna leave after all of that?"

"I'll try to fit more of you into my _schedule_ later today, if that would make you happy."

"Please do." Her pout turned into a smirk slowly as she whispered into Asami's ear, "Maybe I'll stop by your office some time to _repay_ the favor."

Korra's comment made Asami shudder under her touch, her body physically limping as her knees locked. Korra chuckled darkly. All Asami could do in response was nod a bit too eagerly. She gave Korra a quick peck on the mouth, then both of her cheeks, her forehead, and then her nose until the both of them were full of laughter directed at themselves. They let go of their grasps on each other and began to fix their clothes.

"Do I look okay?" Asami asked as she finished re-adjusting her hair.

Korra didn't say anything back, instead, she just stood there staring at Asami with wide eyes. A gleam of light flashed over her eyes. 

"Korra?" She repeated. Korra blinked and seemed to have come back.

"Oh, yeah of course you do, Asami." Her words were soft, gentle, sincere. All of the things that created a swarm of butterflies in Asami's stomach. She tried to push them aside but they did a good job at blocking out her words. She finally thanked Korra, then walked over to her and slid her arms around her torso. Korra placed her hands on Asami's arms. 

"So, you really just came in here to fuck me?"

Asami managed to stop herself from gawking. She's been getting a bit better at replying to Korra's snarky comment with the same energy. "I didn't hear you complaining."

"I'm not. Don't worry, green eyes."

Korra cupped Asami's cheek with her hand fragily, hardly even grazing the skin. Asami melted into her hand without realizing it. They locked eyes, and her breath hitched. Korra then leaned up and their lips met and fit together perfectly, like always. They moved with each other carefully as if speaking. Korra pulled Asami's body closer to hers to deepen the slow kiss.

Asami didn't want to leave at all, and that was a given. But it wasn't because she wanted to keep up their scandal behind the locked door, she simply just wanted to spend more time with Korra. She couldn't explain how much she enjoyed just being in her partner's presence; being able to soak up her smell, touch, laughter, and provide her with the happiness and affection that she deserved. 

Korra was a beyond amazing person, which often left Asami contemplating on whether or not she could give Korra _everything_. Truthfully, she didn't think that she could even come close.

She left their lips part and opened her eyes a few seconds after.

"I'll see you later?" Korra asked with large pupils still.

'Hopefully' is what Asami wanted to say, but she kept that to herself. An unknown fear took over her excitement quickly, and she hated it.

"Yeah."

* * *

Korra wouldn't say it of course, but even four hours after her little run in with Asami, she was still struggling to come down from her high. Luckily, all she had to do for the day was continue sketching and jotting down her ideas for another project she was given. However, this gave her way too much time to think back to what Asami had done to her. Her legs still stung. She found her breath shaking when she got a bit too lost in her flashbacks.

She decided that her office was far too drenched in her past events, so getting out and moving somewhere else was much needed. It's not like Varrick would even know, more or less care, if she gave herself a quick break; a distraction from her previous distraction. So, she went to visit Bolin who was, as usual, in the recreation room on their floor. 

Korra always found it weird how Bolin had such a high job but was hardly ever seen doing any actual work. He was usually tagging along with Varrick to strange conferences.

"Hey, Korra!" Bolin cheered when he saw her walk into the open space. He was at the ping pong table, seemingly about to start another match with some intern or new worker. Korra walked over to them and leaned against the table.

"Hey, Bo. I was actually looking for you."

"Really? Why's that? Did Varrick send you?"

"No. I can't spend time with my friend in our place of work?" She raised a brow jokingly.

"Of course you can, I just figured that you'd be with Asami right now."

Korra was severely tempted to reach a little forward and pinch Bolin's arm, or slap him on the back of his head, it didn't matter. She came all this way to forget about the heiress and the first thing Bolin says is about her.

She let out a sigh and scratched her cheek. "How'd you know she was here? Did you see her?"

"I didn't see her, but Cho and some other people had a presentation for some Future Industries stuff and she was there. I'm assuming you knew that part, though."

"Yeah I did. She actually came to see me in my office for a little bit but she's not in the building anymore." She needed to avoid this conversation as quickly as possible. "So uh, why are you in the rec room?"

"Don't have anything to do." He simply replied as he picked up a paddle and a ping pong ball. His opponent on the other side got ready as well; picking their own paddle up again.

"You don't have any projects or something? Or emails or articles to read?"

"Nope. Varrick's taking me to some meeting to try and convince Metal Clan on partnering up with Blackstone."

"Su's business?"

"Yup, and I _cannot_ wait to see that woman again! Varrick specifically told me to ' _rest_ _my_ _charm_.'" Bolin shot a wide grin at Korra, making her laugh. "Though I'm not entirely sure what that means, I interpreted it my own way."

Just after that, Bolin's game had begun. Korra stepped back a few feet to watch without getting in the way. She was glad that she had come to the rec room, it certainly was the most distraction that she'd get for the time being. 

* * *

It was around six in the afternoon at this time, which meant that Korra's day at work was wrapping up. She packed up her office and clocked out, all while saying brief goodbyes to a few of her co-workers that she was close with.

She stepped out of the building's large glass doors and waited for her uber to arrive. Once it did, she was off back to her apartment. 

Korra fumbled with her keys and cursed under her breath, then mentally made a note to tell her landlord that her door lock was often jammed. She groaned in frustration and dropped the small bag that she carried on to the floor. As she continued to try and open her door, another one in her hallway swung open, following with the sounds of heavy laughter. She spun around and another groan slipped out of her mouth when she saw who it was.

"Hey, Lin!" She cried out, straightening her posture once she realized her mistake. "Ch- Chief Beifong, I mean. Sorry."

"Korra." Lin greeted with her lips in a thin line and a blank face. 

Korra quickly noticed that she wasn't alone, though. There was another older woman who latched on to her arm. She had darker skin, light gray hair, and was a little taller than Lin. Her face seemed to be the exact opposite from the chief's. It was filled with life and stories, while Lin's was just ... bored. 

"I know you!" The darker woman shouted in Korra's face. 

She blinked a few times to see if she could recognize the other woman, until she did and a mischievous smile plastered over her face.

"Were you with Asami Sato at the Future Industries gala a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah I was. I remember seeing you too, actually. You were standing with Li- uh, Chief Beifong."

"You're right. We didn't get a chance to talk then, but let me just compliment you now on how lovely you looked that night." She said heartfully, leaning back into Lin's arm. Korra beamed at the compliment. 

"Thank you! And you did as well, of course. I _loved_ your dress, even though I only saw it from afar a few times."

"Thanks, swe-"

"Kya." Lin grumbled, though her voice was softer than usual. "We have reservations." 

"Right right I know, Linny." Kya, as Korra now knew, patted Lin's cheek playfully, causing her pale skin to flush pink instantly.

Korra definitely did not miss the nickname that her neighbor was given. She had always known Lin to be tough, stern, boring, and groggy. This proved that she had a soft, weak side. A side that maybe only Kya got to see. Korra bit her lower lip to hide the cheekiness making its way to her face. 

" _Please_ don't call me that."

"You only said not to do it in front of other people."

"Does _Korra_ not count as other people?" Lin waved an arm in Korra's proximity, displaying an angry pout that Kya awed at. 

Honestly, Korra didn't find this encounter to be awkward at all. In fact, she quite enjoyed it. She got to see the chief of police so tied up in some other woman, and she found that kind of adorable. For a split second, the way Lin and Kya acted reminded her of her own partner. She smiled at the idea. 

"But she's a _friend_." Kya defended, giving Korra a welcoming look. "We're friends now, by the way."

"I love that."

"Alright, well that was a _great_ talk." Lin rolled her eyes for probably the tenth time in the past three minutes. She motioned for the door in a pleading manner. "Kya ..."

"Okay we're leaving, don't worry. It was nice to meet you, Korra!"

"You too, Kya!" Korra smiled, then used the good energy between them and went so far as bowing a bit to Lin. "Have a good evening, Chief Beifong."

Lin only huffed as a final goodbye. The couple walked down the short hallway and out the main door, tightly linked and attached at the hip and arms. Korra still found a slight smile on her face at the odd interaction she just had, then tried to get her door to open again. With a hefty push, it swung open and she stumbled inside. She was quickly greeted with Naga who rushed to the door, barking loudly and her entire body wiggling in excitement. 

After wrestling around with Naga a bit and filling her food bowl with dinner, she made her way into her living room and dramatically let out a sigh then flopped onto the couch. She ran her hands through her hair and down her face. She was bored and lonely all ready as if she didn't just come back from quite an exciting work day.

Maybe the loss of that is why she felt so empty. 

Sometimes having a night to herself was good. She obviously enjoyed hanging back to catch up on some work, or to just play or watch movies with Naga. Tonight though, was not one of those nights. She still craved human interaction. _Asami_ , to be specific.

Funny since she definitely got plenty of Asami just a few hours earlier. 

Holding that thought, she grabbed her phone from her pocket and called her partner. The line rang for awhile, and she eventually thought that Asami wouldn't answer, until she did.

"Hey, Korra." Asami spoke into the phone. Korra's heart whirled and she wanted to pinch herself for getting so worked up at a simple hello. So she did; pinch herself, that is. She winced quietly at the short pain, then wondered why she even carried out with the stupid idea in the first place.

The two women talked over the phone for _much_ longer than expected; the time now nearing nine pm when it was just seven thirty. Korra was still lazily sprawled out on the couch, her arm hanging over the edge to occasionally scratch Naga's body when she passed by. Asami thankfully finished up with all of the things that she _had_ to do for the day, and was now doing some busy cleaning around her office with Korra on speaker.

"I still can't believe that you're still at your office. It's late, Asami." Korra was genuinely concerned at how much Asami would push herself at times when it came to her job. Sure it was admirable, but also worrying.

"Well it's not like I'm working right now." Asami defended. 

"Is cleaning not considered working anymore?"

She heard a faint chuckle from the other side of the line. "I haven't cleaned my office in weeks. It's overflowing with a bunch of shit, most of the stuff that I actually forgot about."

"Can't you hire like a cleaning service or something?"

"Not sure if I want some cleaning service going through and sorting out extremely important documents that could cause me to lose my position if lost or terribly misplaced."

"Fair enough, then." Korra's stomach grumbled quietly, so she then got up from the couch and went into the kitchen to find something small to eat. "I could help you, though."

"Did I cut out when I talked about extremely important documents?"

"You're not funny." Korra joked, though she did laugh. She dug into her fridge and pulled out a bag of green grapes. "But I _mean_ that I could just keep you company while you're there."

"I have no idea what time I'll wrap this up, Korra. It could be awhile."

"That's exactly why I am so kindly offering you my company and undivided attention." She perked up.

"I can't promise you that my attention won't be as 'undivided' as yours."

"You seemed _pretty_ focused earlier today in my offi-"

"Okay okay, how about this;" Asami cut Korra off as soon as she processed her words. "I'll finish up a few last things here and then I'll come over to your place for a little bit."

"Sounds perfect, then. When do you think you'll be here?"

"Probably around eleven maybe ..." She winced.

"Asami," Korra warned, washing the bag of grapes under the kitchen sink's water.

"Ten thirty. I can't say any earlier."

Korra sighed, and wished that Asami could be more loose and easy on herself. She knew that Asami was obviously important and had far more things to take care of than she did, but that didn't mean that Asami shouldn't be able to relax once in awhile. The past couple of months have only been more and more stressful for her, and Korra deeply wanted to alleviate her troubles. 

"Alright." She finally agreed into the phone. "Just call me when you're here."

They spoke for another few minutes until the line went dead because Asami really needed to focus in order to wrap up her cleaning. Korra sat at the breakfast table in her bay window, chucking grapes into her mouth while mindlessly scrolling through her phone in wait of Asami.

* * *

Asami brushed the fallen strands of her hair away from her face, then just decided to pull her hair into a tight, high ponytail. It was ten thirty at this point. She wasn't even close to finishing the deep cleaning of her office, but Korra's words rung in her head and caused her to stop. If it wasn't for her, she would have stayed at the office all night into the next work day. 

But, like always, Korra managed to pull her away from any further stress. She had a tendency to do that quite easily, and honestly, Asami was very appreciative of that. 

Once she locked up her office and made sure the night custodians would be going home soon, she walked to the parking garage of the Future Industries building. She settled into the driver's seat and let out a _long_ sigh that she's been holding in for the past ten hours. She didn't want to just sit and waste time while she marinated in her car, she had a certain someone to see.

About twenty five minutes later, Korra's apartment door opened and there she was; ready to greet Asami with her warm smile that everyone loved so much. Little did she know that that exact smile was only used around her.

Asami planted a kiss on her lips with her hands on her shoulders. They both smiled into the greeting, then pulled away when the sound of heavy feet became apparent. Naga had come dashing into the kitchen. Asami crouched down to give the overjoyed dog attention while Korra walked over to the countertops and leaned against them.

"She seriously loves you."

The word 'love' spitting out of Korra's mouth when referencing her made her stomach clench. A short wave of heat pricked her neck.

"I'd hope so." Is all she said.

They spent some time catching up on the rest of each other's days ( basically everything that happened after the office incident, though it was still a dangerously strong memory in both of their minds. ) There weren't many places that were still open at that time for them to order in some later dinner, so Korra did the honor of cooking for both of them. She didn't have many ingredients for something gourmet, but she made do with what she had. She whipped up some baked mac and cheese within an hour. Asami continued to protest before things got started, letting Korra know that she didn't have to do all of that and she would've settled for a quick television dinner.

Korra didn't listen.

The two sat at the actual dining table for their dinner, which they've only done only a very small number of times. Korra never really used the dining room in general unless it was to spread out a large project or when she had more than three guests over. 

The mac and cheese was _delicious_. Asami wasn't big on getting seconds too often, but for this meal, she ended it off with a plate filled with thirds. They talked at times, but their mouths were pretty stuffed with the food. Naga made her presence well known as she let out loud whimpers or barks asking for a share. Korra simply gave her a few of her treats, and she settled down again.

When they finished their dinner and cleaned up, they went to Korra's bedroom to lay down and just relax with each other. God knew Asami seriously needed that. 

They adjusted themselves until they slipped into a comfortable position. Korra had her upper body resting on Asami's lower. Asami's fingers thought on their own and tangled in Korra's locks. She noticed there were a few tiny knots, so she did her best to comb through them for her partner. 

They continued with small, mindless talk. Korra got a chance to boast about her family. Asami listened to everything she said with a purpose, putting her words into a cabinet in her mind to remember for later. Korra told her a few short stories about her high school life, then eventually they ran into the topic of how they both found out that they liked women along with men.

"I mean, I was honestly pretty clueless when it came to myself. My gaydar is _insane_ , though." Korra stated.

"Is that how you figured out that I was into girls? I just realized we never really confessed that part and kind of just went with it."

"Yeah. It was pretty easy to tell with you, actually."

"Is that so?" Asami tilted her head with a puzzled, challenging look.

"It's the way you carry yourself. Sure you dress pretty feminine, but I could still tell."

"Thank god. Sometimes I don't think I look 'gay' enough." She confessed with a wince.

"Your energy says it all, don't worry." Korra gave her a knowing look. Asami nodded and let her continue.

"Anyway, I think it was the end of my freshman year in high school when I came to terms with it. Throughout middle school I always thought that girls were pretty and all, and sometimes I had the strange urge to _kiss_ one. But I pushed those urges away and thought that I could just notice an attractive girl." Korra paused to laugh at her past oblivion. "That all changed when I got _really_ fucking high with my friend and she dared me to make out with her. I didn't even like her like that, but it felt incredible. Much better than kissing boys, that's for sure."

"Did you ever like, officially come out to anyone?"

"No, I never saw the need to. One day I just started talking about hot celebrities who weren't only men. And I referred to my crushes as 'they' for awhile. My parents asked me about it one day, and I didn't deny it. Of course they were accepting and said they loved me and some other crap, but I appreciated their support. My dad even said they knew I'd like girls since I was little. Apparently everyone did."

"Why is that?"

"Probably because I used to _only_ wear sleeveless shirts for a large majority of my childhood, and my teenage years." She chuckled. 

Asami used this information and imagined seeing Korra walk around in sleeveless tops, her broad shoulders and muscular arms on display all of the time. She bit her lower lip at the thought, then got a little upset at how she wasn't able to be in Korra's life for that phase. 

"My friends caught on pretty quickly but obviously didn't care. A few of them actually came out shortly after me."

"Your impact." She smiled brightly and leaned down to kiss Korra's forehead. Korra turned her head to face her fully.

"What about you, though? How'd you know you liked tits?"

"God, Korra." Asami rolled her eyes jokingly then sighed. "I knew much later than you did; my second year of college to be exact."

"Did you have that 'experimenting' phase?"

"I did not!" She protested. "I was friends with this one girl who was really pretty, and I always thought that girls were pretty like you did but thought it would be best if I didn't act on it. I had some internalized homophobia and all. I was actually pretty surprised when my father said I had his full support. Anyway, a few months passed and I figured out that I didn't have a 'friend crush' on her, but it wasn't a crush either. It was just a strong sexual attraction."

Korra huffed out her jealousy and grumbled something under her breath. Asami raised a brow but ignored the reaction. 

"We had sex like twice until she asked me to be her girlfriend, then I told her that I didn't want to continue being with her like that anymore. We didn't talk once after that blow out."

"You are such a _heartbreaker_. She was probably sobbing for _months_."

"It's not my fault that the idea of actual romance was so incredibly repulsing to me!" Asami called out with a laugh, but stopped when she noticed that Korra wasn't laughing with her. A pang of guilt poked at her chest.

"You ... you don't feel that way anymore, though, right?" Korra asked in a whisper. It was like she was tip-toeing around fire.

"Oh Korra, no of course not. Not at all." She confirmed in a hurry to fix whatever damage she had caused.

Asami noted that was the first time she had ever admitted that the idea of romance didn't scare her, at least not anymore. She honestly wasn't sure if it was the entire truth or not, but it did feel like it.

"Okay." Korra whispered, then rested her head on Asami's stomach. 

She couldn't help but feel like she had upset Korra in some way and hoped that she would believe her when she said that relationships didn't scare her as of now. Though it wasn't even some regular relationship, it was _Korra_. 

How could she possibly make her understand that?

They laid in silence for long minutes, thinking to themselves. The air in the room wasn't necessarily awkward, but it did feel strangely heavy on their shoulders. Korra stirred a bit, then began to fumble with the comforters. She did this when she was nervous, Asami knew that much.

"Hey, Asami?" She spoke up. Asami hummed.

"We've been a uh, a _thing_ for awhile now and we still haven't gone on a proper date. And I mean a _proper_ one. One where I pick you up at six and take you to a nice restaurant to treat you for dinner."

Korra moved her position to crawl up so that their faces were much, much closer. Asami felt her heart jump and swirl as she quietly swallowed a gulp.

"Go on."

"Oh, _now_ you're on board?" Korra teased with wiggling brows and a small smirk.

"I always was." Asami's tone was too serious which caused them both to blink at the sudden change. 

"Okay." Korra nodded and breathed to regain herself from the way Asami was staring at her. "I'd take you to dinner, then we'd walk the streets of the city and admire the daily sights. We'd talk and laugh and completely lose ourselves in each other for hours until it got too dark to stay outside. Then I'd take you back to your place and we'd watch a movie or ..."

"Or ...?"

" _Or_ we'd have passionate, sweet, _insanely_ _hot_ love-making." Korra closed her eyes and smiled. Then opened them to shoot daggers at Asami. "And we'd go _all_ fucking night."

Something inside of Asami's stomach snapped harshly, causing her insides to fill to the brim with what felt like magma.

"Sounds nice." She choked out. 

"It will be."

A flash went over Korra's eyes, and both of theirs widened at the same time. She assumed that the same thing went over her own eyes as well.

All of the sudden, she saw Korra completely different. She truly _saw_ Korra. She saw her strengths and weakness, her interests and fears, all of the tiny details that made up Korra. Asami saw the way her hands moved over her body so delicately as if she may break, the way her brows raised when she gave a snarky remark, when she scratched the back of her neck or cheek when nervous or caught off guard. 

She saw past her bright blue eyes; there was more there, more that Korra was hiding from her. 

Her heart swelled so much that it almost began to hurt. A burning sensation traveled through her body until it reached the tips of her fingers, making them tingle strongly. She didn't even notice when her breathing had picked up until the air pinched her lungs and she _had_ to focus on her breathing. 

A new thing came to the light, but it was still dim. She knew that she saw Korra, but didn't know what it meant.

What did it _mean_?

"Korra, I ..." She spoke without thinking, but her words never followed. She lost them before they even fully formed. 

Korra looked at her with a pleading, urging, and hopeful expression. Her eyes widening in anticipation for what Asami could have to say.

"Yeah?" Her voice was a soft whisper.

"I-" She stopped again when her mind told her to. She listened, but didn't know if that was the right thing to do anymore. "Is it okay if I spend the night?"

Korra's face visibly dropped along with her shoulders. Her grin turned into a thin line.

"Of course, Asami. You can stay as long as you want."

"Thank you, Korra." She gulped. 

"For letting you spend the night?"

"No. Just," Asami blinked back the unnecessary tears that glassed over her eyes. " _Thank_ _you_."

* * *

Asami woke the following morning to a shower of kisses all over her face, neck, and collarbone. Her giggle turned into roaring laughter along with the culprit's. She wiggled and stirred to try and pull away, but Korra's arms wrapped around her torso were way too good at keeping her in place.

Perks of those muscles.

"Korra, I'm _sleeping_!" She smacked the back of Korra's head repeatedly to get her to stop, but she didn't let up for another couple of drawn out seconds. Korra raised her head from Asami's neck and hovered over her, looking down into the barely awake green eyes.

"Good morning, green eyes." Korra chirped.

"How are you awake before me?" She asked between pants. "I thought mornings weren't your 'thing.'"

"They're not, but Naga was scratching on my door and that woke me up, so I let her in."

Asami peered over the bed to see none other than Naga sprawled out on the floor near the bathroom door. She chuckled lightly at the position and setting then turned back to Korra.

She wondered how someone could look so beautiful without even trying. She envied that aspect of Korra more and more every time they woke up together. Asami _really_ liked waking up to and with Korra, just as much as she liked falling asleep with her as well.

"What time is it?" Asami asked.

"It's only seven. I don't have to leave for work until nine thirty."

"That's perfect." Asami wrapped her arms around Korra's neck to pull her down so their bodies were pressed together. "We can stay like this for a little longer."

"I'd call out if I could, but I just got a new project and I wanna finish it pretty soon." Korra muffled into Asami's hair, bringing herself to snuggle in as close as possible. "Also, when are you next available? Like _fully_ available; nothing on your schedule." 

"Not for awhile, probably." She felt Korra sigh. "But you're forgetting that I _am_ the boss, well technically. If I want to clear my schedule, than it's considered cleared."

"Good."

"Why do you ask?"

"I'm off all of next weekend. Remember that date I was telling you about last night?"

Naga disrupted their conversation by abruptly scrambling up from her sleeping position and slipped through the crack in Korra's door. They laughed shortly, then returned to each other.

"Obviously." She stated.

"Well, I actually want to follow through with that. If it's okay with you." She picked her head up again so they made eye contact to show that she was more than serious.

" _Yes_." Asami said a bit too quickly, and then both giggled. "I mean, yeah sure."

"I think I like your eagerness better." Her voice was much lower now.

Next thing she knew, Korra's eyes went dark as her smiled turned into a mischievous grin, and that could only mean one thing. A lower part in her abdomen coiled tightly. Korra's lips found her neck again, but not leading with the idea of tickling her. She wanted to make Asami squirm underneath her body in another way.

Asami was all for it.

She wrapped her arms around Korra's burning neck to pull her closer. They both hummed low grunts as their bodies fell into each other again with a different meaning. Korra nibbed on Asami's ear while her hands roamed her body, slowly lifting up the baggy shirt she wore. Her hips rocked upwards for more friction. For more Korra.

She bathed and eventually drowned in Korra's touch. Soft moans and explicit words of pleasure bounced off of the walls in the early morning for the next hour, though it felt like it lasted an entire day but also only five minutes.

Asami knew she was falling, or maybe rising. It became all too apparent to her.

The only things that she had to make clear of now were:

A; what did it mean? And B; was she truly ready for that?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi i just wanted to say a quick thank you to all of the insanely nice comments i've gotten so far !!
> 
> they're so motivating and make me want to write even more than i already do, so i greatly appreciate that :)
> 
> -  
> also if you have any suggestions or ideas for what you want to see in this story (or any others if i write more) feel free to let me know !!


	24. chapter twenty four

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> over 10k words omfg

Korra had never been in love before.

She ran her hands through her well dried hair for about the sixth, maybe seventh, time in the past fifteen minutes. She stood in front of the long sideways mirror in her bathroom above the sink. You couldn't say that she was necessarily _nervous_ , but an aching, anxious feeling has been residing in the bottom of her stomach for the past week.

Tonight was her first _real_ _date_ with Asami, and she would make sure that everything would go according to plan. If not that, then it had to be better.

She spent the last few days sorting out everything to the very last detail, with the help of a few other people as well. Those few other people being Opal, Bolin, her parents, and even some of her closer co-workers who she knew were good with that kind of stuff. 

She rolled her shoulders backwards, then patted down her clothes for the last time before she would leave to pick up Asami. Korra had picked the attire for the night, so both her and Asami would be wearing relatively comfortable clothing that would suit the end-of-summer-weather. Korra wore a simple pair of black jeans that fit rather nice, purposefully cupping her butt, along with a loose light blue shirt with a v-neck cut, purposefully showing off her cleavage. 

Lucky enough for her, Opal had offered to have Naga at her place for the night, just incase Korra had decided to stay at Asami's place like she had planned. 

About ten minutes passed when Korra finally got the notification that her uber was approaching. She was thankful that she had such a well paying job, considering all of the ubers and cabs that she takes everywhere. Driving just never seemed to catch on to her, even at the age of twenty seven. 

The ride was short, only around twenty minutes as always, but it still felt much longer to Korra. Her stomach began to coil at every all too familiar turn that her driver took. She'd been on first days before of course, many at that, but this was different. Asami was special and rare and ... she was _Asami_. There were too many emotions directed towards her for the night to go wrong somehow. This was a bigger deal than Korra wished it was. 

As the car was only about two streets away from Asami's, a lost idea from a week ago popped back into Korra's head. She leaned up from the back seat to grip the car's console.

"Do you think we could make a quick stop, please?"

"You know it charges more, right?"

Korra groaned and wondered why she always drivers with such high attitude levels. 

"Yes, I am very aware of how uber works." The driver shot her a second long glance, causing her to realize her own attitude had shown as well. "Uh, sorry. But seriously, I just need to pick up one thing. You can't say no to my money!"

* * *

Korra waited patiently, but also extremely _impatiently_ , leaned up against the tan stone of Asami's building. Before she arrived, she had her driver stop by a small corner store where she was able to find the perfect gift for the start of what would be an amazing night; a single flower. It was a simple dark purple rose. She knew that to anyone else it would be classic, cheesy, or wouldn't mean much, but there was more to it than just being a 'basic' flower. Korra had previously looked up the actual meanings of the colors of flowers to know which one would fit best if she got any for Asami.

She learned that purple flowers have an otherworldly quality to them and radiate mystery and a somewhat secretive energy. They symbolize charm, grace, creativity, and elegance. They can also represent a strong romantic impression or an important transition for the near future.

Korra thought that the description of purple flowers fit perfectly for her partner and their relationship, so that's what she decided on. She was honestly pretty proud of herself.

However, the butterflies in her stomach were still very much apparent, but when she heard the clicking of heels coming her way, the feeling filled her entire body within milliseconds. She could recognize the pattern of that walk anywhere. Her gaze quickly lifted from the ground as her head turned to her right, and there she was.

"Is that my date?" The heiress called out from a few feet away. A loving grin was stuck to her face, as always. Korra didn't know it of course, but that specific smile was only used for her.

Asami now stood right in front of her, gazing down with the full green eyes that Korra would give anything to stay lost in. Just when she thought that her worry had mostly subsided, it came back and hit her hard. 

"You," She sucked in a breath along with her nerves. "You look beautiful, Asami."

Which she certainly did, despise her slightly casual getup. Asami dressed herself with a comfortable _Devante_ mini dress. It was a very dark blue, which contrasted well with her dark red lipstick, and flowed out at the ends yet perfectly pinched her waist. The dress ended a few inches above her knees. It had sleeves to cover her arms, but her collarbone was greatly exposed.

Along with her cleavage, her _cleavage_ was greatly exposed. Korra gulped, forcing herself to pull her eyes away from the area to look back up into Asami's eyes.

"So do you." Asami complimented.

"I uh, got this for you." Korra fumbled a bit, then stuck out the thorn-trimmed rose in Asami's direction. 

Asami looked down at the flower, a bubbly feeling completely consuming her. She bit her bottom lip and took the rose in her own hands with pleasure. Yes, it was only a rose, but for some reason she couldn't take her eyes off of it. Korra watched her examine the gift anxiously as she scratched her cheek.

"Was it too much?" She asked with a high pitched tone. This was when Asami's attention turned back to her. Her eyes glistened, then they flashed momentarily.

"No, it's perfect, Korra. Thank you, seriously." That was the truth. "Now I'm thinking that I should've gotten you a gift."

"No believe me, it's fine. It was kind of a last minute thing, anyway." She lied, sending an appreciative glance at the flower. "Are you ready to go?"

"Of course." Asami stepped closer to Korra, then slithered her arm around Korra's strong ones. Korra tensed for a second, but the sensation what Asami's touch gave her quickly got rid of her fears for the time being. 

"You have no idea how excited I am for tonight, but you've told me nothing besides what to wear." Asami teased as they began to walk down the sideway, careful not to bump into others passing by.

"I think I'm more excited than you are." She huffed to herself. "But it's called the element of surprise, green eyes. Much like you said for my birthday. I intend to make this your _best_ first date ever."

A small part of Korra, one that was only growing larger and became harder to ignore, secretly hoped that this would be Asami's _last_ first date. Hers as well, but she wouldn't say this outloud. At least not yet.

"I'm sure it will be."

* * *

Asami's eyes widened when she realized where they could possibly be headed about twenty minutes into their walk. She bombarded Korra with tens of questions, but her partner only stayed silent and responded with a sheepish smirk. 

The dim lights of the restaurant's sign lit up her face immediately, but also a stinging feeling ripped at her chest at the memories. She wanted to ignore them and push them aside, at least for this night so she could have a good time. For herself and for Korra. 

They walked in and she was instantly hit with the smells of probably all of her favorite long lost foods, and her ears swelled at the loud sounds of laughter, music, and happy conversations all around. Her heart skipped a beat due to her excitement that she tried to push out.

A young looking woman with the restaurant's uniform greeted them at the door. Asami looked at the nametag; Ty, she/her.

"Good evening! Welcome to Lu Ten's." She perked, her voice was rather low, though. "How many people are we having?"

"Just a booth for two, please." Korra answered.

"Come with me, then!" 

She nodded then turned around swiftly, sashaying down and around the tables on the open floor. The two women followed behind her quick steps until she stopped at a corner booth. Their arms were still linked, and they had stayed linked the entire walk from Asami's building to the restaurant.

"This is your table, and I will be your waitress."

Korra let go of Asami's arm, but then took her hand and gently pulled her into the booth. They moved in and sat right next to each other, practically on top, with their shoulders and arms pushed together. It wasn't even like the booth was small either.

Ty placed two menus in front of them. They both started with iced water for their beverages. Ty wrote it down in her notepad, let them know that she would be back in a few minutes to take their orders, and she was off to greet more incoming customers.

Asami took this time to look at her surroundings. It was almost the exact same as the last time she was there. The painful feeling in her chest was definitely still apparent, but when she turned back to Korra and saw the giddy expression on her face, almost all of it went away. 

"How did you know about Lu Ten's?" Asami started.

"I know about _everything_." Korra bragged, but Asami sent her a questioning look, knowing she wasn't telling the truth. Korra sighed and folded her hands together on the table surface. "I may have asked around a little."

"Asked who about what?"

"Some people in my department at my job. I asked if they knew any really good but also calm restaurants that related to your culture."

Asami smiled shyly. "You looked into my culture for this?"

"Yeah, is ... is that weird?"

"What? Of course not. I love it, thank you. I'm saying that for the second time tonight already." 

She thought back to when she had done almost the same thing for Korra on her birthday, when she managed to find a certain cafe that was popular in the south. She remembered Korra's expression when they pulled up to the breakfast place, and honestly thought that her own expression now was quite similar.

She didn't deserve this. She didn't deserve Korra.

 _But you do._ A voice in the back of her head spoke up. The comment seemed to put flames to her other thoughts and doubts. She should listen. She knew she should listen.

"Tell me what to order." Korra snapped her out of her own mind and began flipping through the well filled menu. Asami blinked, then opened hers as well, scanning down the familiar choices. Her stomach grumbled. She hoped Korra hadn't heard, it didn't seem like she did. 

"Do you know what you're feeling for?"

"No idea. I usually stick to my culture's food, but I wanna learn more about yours." She gave Asami a sweet grin, and Asami felt her neck and cheeks heat up at the way she was being looked at.

"Well, I honestly think that you'd really like the dumplings."

"How many does one set come with?"

"Three."

" _Three_?!" Korra yelled which caused Asami to chuckle. Thankfully the restaurant was already overflowing with noise, so no one turned their heads or batted an eye. "Only _three_ for this price?! I'm starving, so keep the suggestions coming."

"The roast duck here is amazing. My mother really loved it. She got it every time we came here together."

The new information that she had spent so long bottling up just flew out of her mouth so easily, as if it was the most casual conversation she could ever have. She quickly noticed her mistake when Korra's smile dropped and obvious worry took over. 

"You and your mom used to come here?" She asked softly with furrowed brows. 

"Uh, ... yeah."

"Shit, Asami. I- I had no idea." Korra reached over and took one of Asami's hands to cup it with hers. The warm sentiment made the heiress want to melt into it even more. "I am _so_ _sorry_ , honestly. We can leave right now if you want to."

Asami's heart swelled, and she began to think again that she didn't deserve Korra. She wished she didn't think like this, but she was only proven the latter after every minute they spent together. 

"I don't want to leave, and you have _nothing_ to be sorry for."

"But I brought you her-"

"You didn't know. You couldn't have known." Asami cut her off surely. "It's not like I'm upset, either."

"You're not?" Korra raised a concerned brow. 

"Not at all." Which was the truth. "I'm actually glad we came here. I haven't been since I was in middle school. It's all the exact same."

"You know you can talk to me about her, right? About anything, really."

She nodded her head, biting back a smile. "I know, and I don't think you'll ever realize how much I-" She stopped. "How much I appreciate you for that. The same goes for you, by the way. You can talk to me about anything."

"I know." Korra repeated. She unraveled their hands and placed one of hers on Asami's lap under the table, but not even in a teasing way like usual, it was just there to be there. 

"I'll get that, then." Korra announced after awhile. 

"Get what?"

"The roast duck, _and_ the dumplings."

Asami showed a full smile as her heart clenched. "Perfect."

"Do you know what you want yet?"

"Shh," She shoved a single to Korra's face. "You're distracting me from deciding."

Korra smacked the finger away and gave Asami dreary eyes.

"Alright, alright." Suddenly, Asami felt lips press against her cheek briefly. Her skin was set on fire at the contact. The blush forming wouldn't even be possible to hide in the slightest. She didn't dare to look at Korra in the eyes, so she leaned her face deeper into the menu.

A chuckle was heard from her side. "Take your time." Korra added lastly, then her fingers brushed Asami's thigh softly, smoothly, and carefully. 

* * *

"It was an absolute nightmare! You can and _should_ not be laughing at this!" Asami defended, but Korra did the exact opposite of listening as she continued her laughing fit. 

"I'm not even sorry that I am!" She got out between breaths. "I'd kill to see a video of that."

"So would thousands of other people, I'm sure." 

Asami had been forced into telling Korra some of her high school stories once their food arrived and as they ate. Korra nearly choked on her dumplings twice at the latest story she heard. When Asami was in her sophomore year of high school, she got into a run in with one of the other students. In all honesty, she still didn't believe that she was in the wrong, which she wasn't.

At a public school, it wouldn't have been a big deal at all, but Asami was sent to one of the most prestigious academies around that was thankfully located in Republic City. All she did was tell a student off for picking on a gay couple, one of them also being a person of color, so he made a few racist comments as well. 

The 'telling the student off' got a little bit out of hand when her educating turned into a pretty loud quarrel in the large lunch room that echoed easily. The guy just wouldn't listen to her, so her inner anger that she did so well at hiding finally broke through when she took him by the wrist, _extremely_ tightly, and began to twist his hand while screaming that he was an awful person, etc. 

They were both taken to the principal's office, only for her to be the one to have to apologize simply because she used violence. She remembered how they didn't even acknowledge the other student's homophobic, racist, and close minded ideas. She was also told to make a speech in an all school assembly about how using violence to get your point across is wrong on all levels. It was humiliating. Asami expected for her father to be upset with how she handled the situation, but he was actually _proud_ of her for standing up against such a low person.

He had said that her mother would have no doubt reacted the same way. 

"Got anymore insanely humiliating stories from your past for me, green eyes?" Korra batted her eyes cheekily, still trying to hold in her chuckles but mostly failing.

"After the way you reacted to the last three, I'm cutting you off until further notice." 

"Oh come on, I know you don't mean that."

"I do." 

"Are you _sure_?" Korra rose her voice to that certain octave that made Asami's knees buckle. She took a sip of her water to clear her drying throat. 

"Korra-" Asami began to warn, but was interrupted when their waitress Ty had joined them again at their booth.

"Are you two ladies interested in dessert for tonight?" She asked politely. 

"Yeah actually," Korra started, quickly being able to change her tone back to normal. "But we haven't looked at the options yet."

"Oh don't worry then, take your time. I'll come back in around five minutes." Ty said, then she left again to attend to a booth nearby theirs. 

Korra turned her head down to scan the dessert section of the menu, and Asami watched her do so. Not in a creepy way, but in an admirable trance way. The lighting in the restaurant was usually quite dim to set a comfortable mood, but each booth had a small orange lamp that hung from the ceiling. It made Korra's features even more defined.

She truly was beautiful. 

They finally decided on a dessert to share between the both of them. They simply got a small plate of mochi balls, all different colors, as Korra called them, though the colors indicated flavors. Asami didn't even bother to correct Korra, as it seemed her partner didn't even notice the different flavors as she devoured half of the plate. Asami found it absolutely adorable.

Asami would have stayed at the restaurant all night, but Korra said that she had other plans for their date, which surprised her for a moment. Then she reminded herself that their dynamic was always full of something new with each time they spent together. Korra called over their waitress, Ty, for the check, and that's when they landed on a disagreement.

"You paid for the last time we ate out. Plus, this date was my idea." Korra argued. 

"But remember the first time you took me to a restaurant? We split it then, which was completely fair but I still feel guilty."

"I'm not letting you pay for a date that I asked you on."

"Korra." Asami warned, sending glares to her partner with a serious expression, only for it to be sent right back to her with the same amount of power.

" _Asami_." Maybe her glares had a bit more power than hers ...

Asami ended up paying for the both of them, though Korra managed to convince her into at least letting her pay for the dessert. 

"You better live up to what you promised." Korra grumbled as they walked out of the restaurant back into the business of the late evening city. They walked hand in hand, fingers locked together and shoulders brushing. She still held the dark purple flower in her free hand with great care.

Asami noticed the small frown on her partners face, so she squeezed her hand a bit to make her meet her eyes. "I will." She said with a promising smirk. Korra only nodded, not being able to find her words until minutes later.

* * *

She was only growing more and more nervous as the night carried on. She had no true reason to be, she was with Asami. This was their first date.

Maybe that was why.

"What's going on?" Asami questioned, breaking her from her thoughts. 

It was then that Korra realized that they were close to their next destination. She smiled to herself thinking about how Asami would react. She'd love it, hopefully. Confidence was key. 

The loud noise of music, laughter, talking, children especially, and games could be heard from blocks away. Korra had done exactly what she planned, so far. Her and Asami walked down the streets of Republic City, admiring and taking in the daily sights like she said they would. They pointed out things they could only be noticeable at night, or things that they had never seen before. 

After strolling around for nearly an hour, Korra called an uber for them. She gave the driver an address that was a bit off, just so she could have more time to walk with Asami. 

They entered Avatar Park, which happened to be the largest part in the entire city. Tonight, however, it looked much better than usual. Opal let Korra know about a week ago that there would be a small-ish carnival held there that day. The noises that they heard from blocks down matched the setting perfectly.

There were probably at least one hundred different stands scattered around from where they could see. There were children running around with food stuffed faces and even some adults chasing after them. 

"How did I not know that this was today?" Asami spoke up. Korra looked up at her to see almost the exact reaction that she hoped for, but this one was better. 

Her green eyes twinkled brightly. Her smile was indescribable. Korra loved Asami's smile.

"I don't think I would've known if Opal hadn't told me." Korra admitted. 

"I haven't been to one of these in _years_. My friend group and I from grade school used to find these things and go to all of the ones that we could, which was basically all of them."

"My hometown used to have stuff like this too, but we called them festivals though they seem to be the exact same, basically."

Asami didn't respond, she only looked down at Korra with squinted eyes. Korra looked behind her briefly to check if something was there, but there wasn't. Then she used her free hand to run her fingers through her hair. Asami continued to stare, smirking. 

"What is it?" Korra asked, feeling a bit numb under the intense gaze as something in her stomach flipped.

"I just realized something."

"Realized wh- _mph_!" Korra was almost instantly cut off when Asami's lips smashed down on to hers. She gasped, sighed, then hummed as she melted into her partner's graceful touch. She kissed her back with equal emotion, possibly even more.

Asami's hands cupped her cheeks and jaw to keep her in place, the rose hanging off from the side, with her thumbs delicately rubbing her upper neck. Korra quickly placed her hands to cup Asami's waist. She pulled her body in closer and tilted her head a bit to deepen the kiss. 

It felt surreal, like it was their first time again. Their mouths always moved in such sync with each other. They kissed for several more minutes until their surroundings caught back up with them. A loud child's wail broke their tension too easily, making Asami jump at the interruption. Korra groaned when they parted, but the wrapped her arms around Asami's body so she stayed close. They giggled quietly to themselves, somehow still wrapped up in the other.

"I realized that haven't kissed you tonight, yet." 

"Spirits, you amaze me." Korra sighed. She had a dopey, puppy-love look on her face that always made Asami extra confident or flustered. 

"Oh! Well- uh ..." Flustered in this case, as she was at a loss of words.

"This is where you either say thank you or compliment me back."

"I was getting there." She rolled her eyes jokingly. "Thank you, and-"

_I love you._

Korra blinked as her heart rate sky rocked just at that moment. The words had come to her out of nowhere and hit her painfully hard. All of her emotions scrambled inside of her heart, mind, and body. She shook them away though, and listened to Asami speak, doing her best to get drawn in by her voice again rather than her own thoughts.

"You amaze me, too." Is what Asami had said. "This night has been so incredible already. I _definitely_ owe you when we get back to my place later." She whispered the last sentence into Korra's ear, making the hairs on her arms and neck stand up abruptly. Her body shudder as a cold yet burning feeling traveled down her spine. 

She chose to not talk for now, knowing that whatever came out of her mouth next would either be muffled gibberish or three unusual, exotic words. Asami grabbed for her hand again and walked them into the main area of the event. As they walked past all different kinds of stands, games, and people, Korra noticed a few things around them.

There were couples nearly everywhere she looked, and it was quite obvious to tell with some of them. One person was carrying a large stuffed animal while the other had their arm leaned on their shoulder as they laughed loudly with each other. A few other couples were sitting down more far off by some trees or picnic tables, looking so obviously completely consumed in each other. 

The most recent pair that she spotted were two women who walked right past them. Korra saw how their arms were linked tightly together, their eyes focusing on nothing else but the other person, their smiles bright. She looked down at her and Asami's arms to see they were in the same position. 

Asami stopped them in their tracks to take a bit of an apple she had bought at a fruit stand. Korra laughed, of course Asami would still find a way to eat healthy at a carnival. She then glanced up to see the purple rose. Minutes ago, Asami had asked for her to put it behind her ear so it stood out from her hair. She looked beautiful. Korra's eyes wandered around again.

Did they look like a couple to others?

That's what they were though, right? A couple. Well, maybe for the most part. This uncertainty got Korra thinking ...

"Asa-"

"Wait, come with me! That stand has _sand_ in _glasses_!"

Korra didn't even get a chance to agree before she felt Asami's arm tug her forwards. They walked through and past many other stands that they would probably visit later if they had time, and made it to the specific one that Asami had pointed out. Korra looked down at the objects as the older man running the stand explained some things to Asami about the sand, things that Korra didn't necessarily care enough to hear about. 

A few minutes passed and they were still with the sand in glasses. Korra usually would have been annoyed at this point, but she just couldn't bring herself to be. She was able to admire Asami be so interested in something so small. It was somewhat mesmerizing. 

Her daily wonder of whether or not her partner was a goddess crossed her mind.

"Hey." Korra tugged lightly at her hair to get her attention. Asami turned to look at her, the smile she had only growing larger to where her cheeks perked up to meet her ears. 

"Sorry, am I taking too long here?"

"No, I just wanted to say hi." 

Asami didn't respond with words, instead, she leaned down and pecked Korra's lips. Both of them smiled into the kiss until Asami pulled away turned back to the glasses.

* * *

Their time browsing between the stands slowly came to an end when Asami said that they had hit all of the 'good spots' already. Korra was honestly more than fine with that. After she played a game of shoot down the clown against three little kids, lost poorly, then had a small fit, she was ready to sit and recollect herself. They picked an unoccupied tree and sat below it. Korra's back was leaned against the trunk with Asami's head resting in her lap. Korra stroked her fingers through the silky raven hair, catching and toying with the flower at times.

"Can I tell you something?" She said suddenly. 

"Of course."

"I'm," A quick breath, purposefully making direct contact with the green eyes below her. "I'm really proud of you, Asami."

"For what?"

"Because I know that this stuff isn't necessarily the easiest thing for you. I remember just when we started being friends that you actually were pretty repulsed by the idea. You've come a long way though, breaking out of your shell like that."

"I didn't break out of my shell. That was all you, Korra." Her voice was low and serious.

_I love you._

The tender sensation in her chest began to turn into pain. The words were ringing in her ears far too loudly, it hurt. It hurt how apparent her emotions were becoming. 

"Don't give me any credit." She simply stated. 

"But you deserve it." Asami furrowed her brows and sat up from her sitting position. She moved her face so that it hovered right over Korra's. Korra could feel Asami's hot breath flowing on to her through her parted lips. She noticed the way Asami's chest was rising up and down slowly. 

"You ... deserve the world." Asami breathed after a few beats of only stares. 

"So do you. God, you have no idea."

_I love you._

Korra slithered her hand to cup Asami's cheek, and Asami's hand that wasn't keeping her up right knotted into brown locks. The dove into each other at the exact same time. When their lips met, Korra felt herself being lifted off of the ground. She poured everything she felt into the kiss, or as much as they could. She felt like crying and had to mentally remind herself not to. 

* * *

The two women stumbled into Asami's apartment within the blink of an eye. Korra couldn't think straight, she felt like the room or the entire world was spinning and shifting under her feet. The all too strong emotions were coming up in an explosion as they were finally made clear to her. 

Their lips hardly left each other's. Asami's flower was made sure to be gently placed on the tall table that sat near the elevator. Their main articles of clothing were quickly shed as they switched pushing the other on every wall surface they could find. First it was their shoes, then their socks, and Korra's shirt.

Asami pined Korra to another wall after her shirt was lifted and slammed their lips together again. Their hands roamed to every covered and exposed part of body as the intensity only grew stronger. Korra bit Asami's bottom lip and slipped her tongue past her slightly opened mouth.

Neither of them even realized when Korra had pushed Asami into the kitchen island counter until she let out a quick gasp. 

"I'd," Korra began to speak, but was pulled back into pale lips. "I'd take on this counter right now if I could."

"Why can't you?" Asami huffed heavily, then went back for another kiss. Her fingers groping Korra's neck, collarbone, and shoulders firmly. 

"Because," Another kiss. "That's where I'll be making us breakfast tomorrow morning."

"Fair enough."

They did their best to retrain themselves, though it seemed like the most difficult task. Traveling to Asami's bedroom seemed like too far of a destination. With that though, Korra shoved Asami into the wall, only a few feet from the bedroom door. Her puffy lips trailed down her hot jaw and reached her neck. Asami moaned her name as Korra rode up her dress so it bundled around her waist. Their hips bucked together, grinding, rolling, and releasing irresistible sighs.

_I love you._

" _Fuck_ , I want you." Asami panted. Korra nearly collapsed then and there, letting out a quiet moan in response to the needy confession. She continued to leave love bites for about another minute, making sure to pinch at the top of her ear, until one hand hurriedly made its way down Asami's body.

She toyed with the strings of her lace underwear, teasingly and slowly letting it slide down long pale legs onto the floor. Korra kissed at Asami's collarbone, then leaned down on to her knees. She lifted one of Asami's legs to sit on her shoulder to keep her up right, then wasted no more time in diving into her glistening pussy.

Asami instantly screamed out in pleasure at the feeling of Korra's tongue doing wonders all around her clit. It laid flat out at first, then drew a number of shapes and pictures. Her head leaned back to hit the wall abruptly, her eyes rolling into the back of her head. Korra moaned into her throbbing pussy at the taste of her partner. It sent powerful vibrations up Asami and made her gasp loudly. 

" _Oh my god_."

Korra sucked, slurped, and swirled Asami's clit and the inside of her pussy. She had every intention of showing Asami how she truly felt, and making her finish the hardest she ever had. Not only once, but as many times as she could in one night. She felt Asami's fingers dig deeply into her scalp, though she didn't mind at all. 

Only moments later after her tongue did that certain thing, Asami lost it all and came hard in Korra's mouth. Her legs clenched and she bit her bottom lip brutally. Korra lapped up everything that she was given while letting Asami calmly come down from her high. 

_I love you._

It took about a minute for her to settle at least half way. Korra stood up to watch her as she unwinded, absolutely caught up in how beautiful she looked after she finished. She then felt hot hands grab her by her shoulders lips kissing her roughly. She moaned into Asami's mouth until those lips met her neck hungrily. 

"I am gonna make you feel _so_ _good_." Was blown against her neck. Her eyelids fluttered and struggled to stay open.

"Holy shit." She practically squeaked.

_I love you._

Keeping her hands on Korra's shoulders, she pushed both of them back until they somehow finally made it to the bed. The back of her knees hit the edge of it. Their kiss broke when Asami pulled away to look at Korra. Her elbows propped her body up, chest rising up and down, lips puffy, hair already a tangled mess, eyes dark navy. Asami lifted her dress fully over her head and chucked it elsewhere, then surged back into the kiss. 

Her fingers easily unbotted Korra's jeans, pushing them down until she was left in her undergarments, though that didn't last long either. Asami carefully undid her bra and let it fall off. Her lips kissed at Korra's collarbone, making her hiss, wince, and roll her hips in search of any type of friction as her tension was building up. Her fingers fisted with Asami's hair. 

The pleasure was so delightful yet it had barely even begun for her at this point. Asami's lips making sure to reach every part of her upper body was basically excruciating. Just then, she felt a wet tongue roll over her erect nipples and all around her breasts. Her head dipped back as a moan escaped past her lips. 

_I love you._

" _Asami_ ," She gasped, proud of herself for not saying anything different. Her breasts were always her most sensitive part besides her clit, and her partner had come to know that quite well. 

Asami leaned down more so that their hips hovered right over each others'. The heat they both radiated mixed well. She gave both breasts an equal amount of attention and stimulation, sucking and pinching everywhere until Korra's body under hers jerked upwards desperately. Asami's touch was dangerously intoxicating. 

They shed of their other undergarments quickly after. Korra's underwear and Asami's bra were the last things that kept them apart, and now that those were out of the way, their naked bodies fit together perfectly. Asami kissed all over Korra's burning skin, leaving small bites that would certainly bruise in the morning. She loved that, though. She loved when Asami purposefully marked her. Asami's hand ventured lower and lower until three of her fingers cupped over her pussy. The wetness that glazed over it met her hand gratefully. 

" _Shit_." Korra hardly breathed when she felt the contact. Asami bent her head down to give her neck more care as her fingers got to work. She didn't even bother going for the clit at first, and instead, slipped her middle and ring fingers into Korra's pussy.

Korra's moans grew uncontrollably, the volume raising even higher every time Asami thrusted into her. She fucked Korra with her fingers relentlessly, dragging them up and around her inner walls, tugging and pulling, twisting, turning in every possible way. A light layer of sweat was appearing on both of their stomachs and foreheads, making their bodies slide against each other. 

_I love you._

She yelled louder when she something in her lower abdomen dropped and broke into pieces. Her eyes closed shut, shooting her head farther back into the pillow as her climax hit her out of nowhere all too quickly. She scrunched her fingers in Asami's hair as she only seemed to continue going faster. Asami was not letting up this easily, she never did. Her legs twitched, bucked, and began to ache in such a good way she wasn't even sure of anything anymore. 

_I love you._

All she knew was Asami. It was Asami. 

She came again, spilling out everything onto Asami's hands as they finally seemed to slow down. Her grip transferred to the sheets of the bed as she writhed out of her ecstacy. Asami pulled out of her and licked her own fingers clean, making Korra watch as she did this. She moaned softly at the sight. There was still no way that any of this was real, it was too good. 

Her back lifted from the bed to kiss Asami hard. They both groaned as their overly erect nipples rubbed together. Asami pulled away, looking into Korra's eyes with so much filled in them. There was so much hiding there. She licked her bottom lip, then went to Korra's ear. 

"Do you want to try something new?" Her voice was husky, a husky that Korra had never heard during all of their times together like this. 

"Wh- what do you mean?" She pushed down the gulp in her throat, still trying to regain herself.

"I actually _do_ have a gift for you."

Asami cupped her neck with one hand and planted gentle kisses there. Korra tilted her head to allow her more access, still extremely curious in what her partner meant. It also made her excited. 

"Have you, Korra," A kiss. "Ever used a strap on?"

Her mind _exploded_ as she was able to process those words, then she reprocessed them again to make sure she actually heard them right. The look Asami was giving her, her lower lip pulled between her teeth, eyes hooded, was telling her that she heard correctly. 

Thoughts of Asami pounding into her with a silicone dick, making her see not only the stars but also the moon and the sun, her legs being the equivalence of jelly within a matter of seconds ... 

"Yes!" She answered quickly before her mind got ahead of itself. "I- I mean yeah but it's kind of been awhile."

* * *

Asami re-entered the room only about five minutes later. When she got back, Korra's upper body sprung from her laying down position. Her navy eyes popped out of their sockets probably a total of ten times within the second. She felt her own arousal come back to her harshly.

Asami stood in the arch of her bathroom door, completely naked. Naked other than the length of silicone that stood from between her legs and the straps that tied around her butt and waist. The color is only one of the many things that left her shocked. It was a dark purple. Strangely and oddly enough, it kind of reminded Korra of the flower she had gotten Asami. The colors were scarily similar.

It only made her need to be torn apart grow stronger. She shuddered. 

Her partner walked back over to the bed, and Korra watched her every move. Her smooth, milky legs taking long struts, her perfectly rounded breasts and erect nipples, her pinched curves and beautiful hips, until her eyes traveled right back to the middle area. It's safe to say that she has _never_ been more turned on in her entire life. 

Asami went back to her position on the bed. She hovered over Korra, placing her hot hands on her knees to spread her legs apart, and used a single finger to push her back down. Korra laid flat instantly, as if she was as light as a feather. 

She looked down to the dildo and just knew that her pussy was soaked again by now. It was a bit glossy, probably already covered with lube. Asami leaned down so just their breasts touched and their eyes locked. 

"Are you sure?" She asked with so much sincerity. It would have made Korra's heart melt if it wasn't doing its best to keep her blood pumping properly.

"Positive." 

"And you'll tell me if you feel any discomfort, right?"

"Of course." Korra spat out in a rush. She was getting impatient. Her clit felt like it was screaming yet muffled. She _needed_ Asami. Her hips subconsciously jerked closer to the silicone.

Asami breathed, and a focused look took over her face. Korra couldn't bring herself to pull her eyes off of her partner. Asami slowly rolled her hips forward, letting the tip's length of the dildo ease into her slit. The lube along with Korra's wetness let it slide around smoothly. Korra groaned softly, both at the new feeling and the fact that Asami was the one causing this new feeling. 

After a few moments, a large majority of the dildo was inside of Korra. She felt her walls stretch and clench as her breathing became a bit raggedy. She was so full. Asami placed her hands on Korra's waist gently to help her relax, which worked to her liking. 

"Are you okay?" Her eyes searched for any signs of doubt in Korra's face, but truthfully so, there were none. 

"Yes, but like I said, it's," She panted lightly. "Just been awhile." Korra hasn't even slept with a man in two, almost three years. Kuvira wasn't that big on using toys either. 

Asami nodded her head in understandment. She slowly slid the silicone inside her pussy to its full length now, letting her partner adjust and be completely comfortable before trying anything else. She leaned down to meet Korra's ear again when her confidence came back at the way Korra's body shivered. 

"I'll be gentle until you tell me otherwise."

A flame lit inside of Korra, one so strong that she had never experienced it before.

_I love you._

Slowly, Asami started with easy thrusts to make sure that Korra's body would recognize the motions soon. She gritted her teeth as a sharp pain went up her spine before the pleasure could hit. Her hands dug into Asami's back to hold her tightly. Her thrusts continued in a slow pattern, but soon enough, Korra grew disgustingly sick of it. 

"Don't hold back." She whispered, it barely being heard if not for Asami's face being right above hers. "Don't _ever_ hold back on me, Asami."

She didn't seem to need much more convincing or reassurance when her hips had suddenly picked up their speed rather quickly, like she has been waiting for this moment to just be handed to her her entire life.

Asami's hips began to _pound_ into Korra without any further warning. Korra screeched the loudest she ever had, digging her head up into Asami's shoulder and pulling her nails down her back. When she thought her moans were bad earlier, they could be considered _awful_ now. Though, she was always loud when in bed with Asami. 

She never knew this side of her partner, and was more than happy to have it all to herself. Asami was hers, she was all for her. Here was this high, powerful, important woman of the business world hitting all walls to make Korra feel good. 

All kinds of things released from her 'o' shaped mouth when she wasn't biting down into pale skin. 

"God, _fuck_! _Fuck_!" 

" _Oh my god_ ..."

" _Don't stop, don't stop_."

" _Asami_!" Was shouted a countless amount of times. 

Her shouts made Asami thrust even harder, selfishly and possessively. 

Both of their moans and grunts synced with each other, as long as the rhythm in which their hips moved to meet. Korra's back arched and stirred, but still tried their hardest to hang on to her partner. She thought if she completely let go that she would fall.

Asami listened to Korra's moans and the lewd sounds of their skin clapping together like it was her favorite song. She leaned her head down so their foreheads touched and their widely opened mouths blew hot air into the other. It was one of the highest levels of intimacy they've touched so far. Asami gratefully swallowed Korra's sounds of immense pleasure. 

More passionate cries left Korra as Asami went as deeply as humanly possible into her throbbing pussy. She dared to rip open her eyes to see the sight in front of her, and nearly lost herself at that. Asami's face was a tinted redish-pink, her eyes were tightly shut with her head dipped back a bit, and her breasts swung lightly over her face. Korra wanted so badly to take one of the breasts in her mouth, but didn't think she would be able to move in that way. 

The dildo then hit a certain part on the edge of Korra's walls, and she swore she felt it in the pit of her stomach. She yelled, screamed, moaned, and panted. She was going crazy at the pleasure. 

"Korra _, shit_!" Asami groaned loudly. The motion of her hips turned into the speed of a jackhammer as if she could quite literally feel herself pounding inside of Korra.

_I love you._

She loved Asami. The woman that she loved so, so much made her feel like no one ever has before. With that last thought, her legs then entire body rocked as she chased for her orgasm. It would probably be her most explosive one yet. Asami noticed her inner walls tighten when it became a bit harder to thrust, yet she continued. 

Korra snapped. Her eyes closed shut so that she could feel every wave that washed over her. Asami looked down at what was unraveling before her, and kissed Korra hard. Not to muffle her moans of release, but to remind her that she was there to bring her back down. She was completely over the edge. Her muscles tightened. Asami gradually slowed her strokes, then eventually stopped and pulled out.

"Fuck, you're so amazing." She whispered into Korra's collarbone as she kissed at it tenderly. Korra almost wanted to cry for the second time that night.

_I love you. I love you._

Asami carefully unfastened the straps around her waist and chucked the toy with enough strength so that it landed back in her bathroom past the open door. Korra regained her energy and surged up to plant another kiss on her lips. She kissed her with everything she had left.

But she still wanted more. She wanted to give Asami more.

She was still breathing erratically as Asami released their lips to lie down on the bed next to Korra's jelly-like body. Their chests rose in an unsynchronized pattern. The temperature and smell in the room stung at Korra, but made her nostrils flare in pure bliss. 

"So," Asami breathed. "What do you think?"

"I don't!" She licked her bottom lip. Her head still spun from the daze she had barely left at this point. "I _can't_!"

Asami was always good at fucking the basic senses out of her. She was _so_ lucky.

"Was that ... too much?"

" _Too_ _much_? Are you serious right now? Oh my god, that was incredible! I can't even explain how I feel right now."

_I love you._

A pleasing smirk spread across her lips. She nuzzled her head into Korra's sweat-damp neck. "Did I live up to what I promised at dinner earlier?"

"Oh my god, most definitely." She chuckled, then another idea popped into her sex clouded mind. "Can you give me another minute or two?"

"What for?"

"To make our amount of orgasms tonight an even number."

* * *

Only short moments later, Korra grabbed Asami by her hips and placed them right above her face. Her thighs sat at the sides of her head, slightly clenching in anticipation for what would come next. She was just where Korra needed her to be, and mostly because her body could hardly move. She glanced up to see the sight, her heart rate picking up again at its intense pace. She could see everything, and loved it. 

Not a second passed when Korra's hands brung her hips down until her mouth hit her pussy once more. She inhaled her favorite smell of arousal as her tongue repeated the same movements from out in the hallway. A loud gasp flew from the deepest parts of Asami's chest until they became consistent. She didn't even bother to mute the sounds of her wails. Her clit was so overly stimulated from all that she had just done to Korra that she thought her orgasm would come sooner than wanted.

" _Yes_ , Korra. God- _fuck_!" She belted between heavy pants. This was too good.

The strokes Korra played with her tongue were broad and hungry. She was even more concentrated than before. Asami threw her head back as her hands ran to grip her headboard to hold her steady. Her eyes closed to focus on the incredible sensation. Without knowing, her hips rolled with Korra's motions, _actually_ riding her face to her own accord. 

A sensual groan left her partners mouth and vibrated against her clit mercilessly. Her hips jerked. Her lips quivered and she bit down on her lower one, though her moans escaped past that.

Korra's burning hands felt up Asami's back, lightly clawing at the moist skin. A cold shiver went up her spine when Korra's nails dragged against her. She cried out again, louder, if even possible. Her entire body was filled to the brim with blissful, white pleasure. 

"I'm _so_ _close_." Her eyes squinted. 

Sadly, it didn't take long enough for her rolling rhythm to become sloppy. Her knees and legs tightened around Korra's head but was careful to not squeeze too tightly. The sounds and heat radiating from her body made Korra fuck her pussy with her tongue harder. She wailed when she was hit with _two_ of the most intense orgasms she's had, and nearly dug a hole in the cotton filled headboard with her nails.

She didn't even have the right amount of time to find herself when Korra flipped them over so that she now laid on her back. She gasped at the sudden movement, but melted again when Korra kissed at her neck softly. 

They were both covered with sweat, sex, emotion, lust, lo-

"Asami," Korra huffed out of nowhere to grab her attention, rightfully so. She was running her fingers through her tangled strands when Asami managed to make eye contact with her. 

"Be my girlfriend."

Her heart beat stopped right at that moment. An uncomfortable buzzing feeling rushed to the tips of her fingers. Her eyes were much wider than she thought they were.

"What?" She croaked, her throat catching most of her words and throwing them back down. Her body shivered. Her partner's touch suddenly felt ... cold.

"Please be my girlfriend." Korra repeated. Her face was so beautiful. It was filled with hopeful, pleading, longing aspiration. 

"Yes! I- I mean no. No, yes- _no_! Korra, stop!"

And this was when things went bad all on their own, spiralling out of control.

"What? Asami-"

" _Just_ _stop_!" She ripped her eyes from Korra's, then turned her body over and wrapped her naked self with one of her bed's thin sheets. She couldn't think. Her mind went blank with a new kind of energy surging through her. She moved so that her back was facing Korra. "Please don't do this." She whispered.

But that wasn't the truth.

"Do _what_?!" 

"Make things all ... confusing." Asami felt trapped. She didn't like feeling trapped. Korra had never made her feel trapped before. 

"All I did was ask you to b-"

"I _know_ what you asked."

Silence fell over them after they both registered her change of tone. She panicked, but couldn't bring herself to look at Korra now. She knew exactly what her face looked like and wanted anything but to see that. 

"So you're saying no?" Her voice was raspy; _hurting_.

Asami didn't answer when her chest tightened. She stayed quiet, the only noise she let out was soft pants. This was too overwhelming for her. 

"You are." Korra deadpanned after a few too long seconds. Her eyes began to narrow and water pricked the surface, making them glassy. Asami still didn't look.

"No, I'm not. Jus-"

"So you're saying yes, then?"

More beats of silence. Each beat pounded into her head like a ringing bell. 

"... No."

A piece of Asami's heart chipped at away, almost surprised at her own response. She didn't hear anything for awhile. That is, until she felt the bed lift from the other side. Asami did her best to not turn around, but couldn't keep it up any longer when she heard harsh foot steps. 

"Alright." Korra grumbled. 

She had gotten up from the bed and began walking around the bedroom. Asami watched her behind a blurry vision. This was all happening so fast. Korra slid her underwear back up her body, then found her bra and clasped it around her breasts.

"What are you doing?" Asami panicked more. Korra ignored her, pulling up her jeans again to button them in a wobbling hurry. Asami stood up from her sitting position. "Korra, where are you going?"

"To Opal's place." She answered sharply. She kept her eyes away purposefully. 

Asami's heart cracked.

"Why?"

"To get Naga so I can go home."

It cracked again. This was a mistake, it had to be some sort of misunderstanding. 

"But you're staying the night." It was more of a question to herself rather than a statement to Korra. 

"I don't want to anymore." She announced without a pang of remorse. Korra looked around for her shirt, but to no avail. A hiss left her thin lips. She then walked out of the bedroom, and Asami couldn't even blink once before her feet carried her to follow quickly. The large sheets bundled at her waist at ankles, making it far more difficult to chase after her partner.

"Korra, hold on-" She called out, but was interrupted. Korra spun around right at the top of the staircase. Asami almost lost it at the sight. It had to be one of the most horrible things she had ever seen. 

Korra's face was covered with pain and angst. Her eyes were overly-coated with water, and when she blinked, a single tear fell down her cheek. Asami wanted nothing more than to take those last few steps, reach her hand forward, and wipe all of the sadness away into the forgotten. 

All of the sadness that she had caused Korra. 

"I thought you said you weren't scared of relationships anymore." Korra released with a drop of her shoulders. She looked dumbfounded and even _betrayed_. 

"I- I'm n-"

"Was that a lie or something?"

"It wasn't!" Asami stepped cautiously stepped closer. Her features harded, but not in a defensive way. She was hurting herself by doing this. "Korra, I was telling the truth!"

"So what is it then? What are you _scared_ _of_?!" A flash went over her droopy eyes. "Is it me?"

Asami couldn't believe what she just heard. Another piece of her heart cracked. "I am not _scared_ of you! What does that even mean?"

Korra shook her head then turned around. She walked down the staircase in a rush, but Asami was easily on her tail as she held onto the railing and the bed sheet covering her. 

"Korra!" She called out, no response. Korra led the both of them into the kitchen in further search of her shirt. " _Korra_!" That was a yell, and it was definitely the wrong move. 

Her partner turned to look at her in not pain or angst now. Rather, it was shock and outrage. 

"Why the _fuck_ are you yelling at me right now?!" 

The tone and octave made Asami step back in surprise. One of her hands went up in assurance. "I didn't mean to, I'm sorry. I just want to talk to you; for _you_ to talk to me."

"I'm not gonna talk to someone who lead me on for half a year!"

"I'm not leading you on! I was never leading you on-"

She wasn't given much of a chance to continue when Korra walked away in ignorance. Asami knew that she had no right to be upset right now, but she _was_. Korra found her shirt on the floor of the open space right near the foyer room. She tossed it over her head quickly, and Asami could only watch in fear.

"I'm not leading you on." She said more softly now, but did not receive the same energy.

"I have no idea what you _want_ , Asami!" A scream. It rattled through her ears, only to make fumes steam out. 

"You, Korra! I want _you_!" The well known confession was practically a cry. "How many fucking times do I have to tell you that?!"

"Well maybe just telling me isn't good enough anymore!"

"So then how many times do I have to hold your face in my hands, or spend the night at your place, or go on walks with you and Naga, or _fuck_ _you_ until you can see that!" She took long breaths. Her chest was rising up and down in an unsteady, painful pattern as her heart clenched tightly. Any more words and it would break off entirely. She inhaled deeply and dropped her wavering arm to her side. "Why can't you see that?"

"Stop." Korra stated. The way that she was looking at Asami in this moment was so foreign. Her gaze was stern and cold, her bright blue eyes turning into an unfamiliar gray almost. 

"Wha-"

"Just stop, Asami. Stop trying to convince yourself that you want to be with me. It's quite obvious now that you don't."

"Korra," Her lip quivered as her chest, heart, eyes, and throat stung painfully. "How could you say that?"

"I don't know what kind of game you're playing, but I don't want anything to do with it anymore. Maybe this was just some fling to you, or relationship tester, I don't know! Just leave me out of it."

Korra turned to make her way to the foyer. Asami followed. She located her scattered socks and shoes, then sat down on a small stool in a corner to put them on. Asami wasn't even able to process what was going on. Her vision blurred even more when her fist clenched. 

"What are you _talking_ about?" She wailed. 

"I should have known better than to try and start something with you. You don't even do relationships, yet I let myself fall in-" She paused. " _Fall_ for you and get all trapped in your little trance thingy _whatever_! I let myself think that maybe I could've been the person to change your mind. If you don't wanna be with me, Asami, then you should have said so in the beginning. You shouldn't have _lied_!" 

Those words hurt. They hurt a lot, and she knew that Korra was well aware of that. 

"I didn't _lie_." Her voice noticeably trembled. She didn't care.

"But you did!" Korra only fought back, standing from the stool when her outfit was complete. "Admit it; you didn't think things would get this far and at some point you didn't know how to get out of it. How long did you think this was going to go on for?"

 _Forever_. She wanted to answer and say forever, but she didn't. She felt like it would only make Korra believe her less somehow.

"Exactly." Korra spat out when she didn't get a response. "I thought we would work, but clearly I was wrong."

"You weren't wrong! We are- we _do_ work!"

_Don't lose Korra._

That was the only oath that she's kept to herself one hundred percent, and here it was, slipping right through her fingers as if it was nothing.

"So then why can't you just be my girlfriend?" Her tone was far more softer now than it just was. Her facial features softened as well. She looked tired, and maybe even scared. She licked her bottom lip and sighed quietly. "What's so bad about making what we already have official?"

"Because I-" Her own words caught in her throat, being blocked with a hurling feeling. She didn't think that this could be real, that her and Korra were actually fighting and it seemed she could do nothing to stop it. She wanted to throw up.

She almost let out a sigh of relief when she saw Korra step an inch closer to her, seemingly going in to close their distance, but halted in the end. 

"I'm sorry if this seems like I'm pushing you out of your comfort zone, but it's just how I feel. I'm tired of walking around not ever really knowing where we stand. I want to be _yours_ , Asami. Like, _seriously_ be yours, more than I already am, or thought I was." Asami would be damned if she dared to think that a small smile formed on Korra's lips before it turned into a thin line again. She dropped her head to avoid eye contact. "This just ... it's not enough for me, and maybe this isn't right."

A heart wrenching sting. She was breaking. "Korra-"

"We're never on the same page with this kind of stuff, and I'm starting to think that we never will be." Pause. "I don't know how long I can wait around until we catch up to each other. It's- I can't ... do this. At least not when you still have doubts."

_Don't lose Korra._

"You don't mean that." Asami protested so surely, though she wasn't so sure at all anymore. 

"I want answers, and you don't have them. I know I'm just being selfish bu-"

"You're not being selfish, don't think that." She blinked hard to push back her tears, but when she eyes opened, she could feel them begin to stream down her hot face. "I'm sorry I can't be the person you want me to be."

"No. No, that's not it at all. You are the _exact_ person that I want." Asami wanted to believe it, and she did. Korra's tone was so sure, but then she continued talking. "It's clear that you still have some things to work out for yourself, and I'm only getting in the way. You're not ready for the things I am and I have to accept that for now."

Korra's finger pushed down on the elevator door button to signal her ride; her ride away frm Asami. The ding sound that came from it made Asami want to scream. 

"No. That's not tr-"

"I'm sorry I couldn't wait around a little longer."

Everything that happened within the next three seconds was a blur. The elevator arrived, Korra stepped inside, her finger hit another button, a ding, Korra's eyes.

Her perfectly, always happy blue eyes. Gray.

Asami stayed still as a monument when the doors closed mockingly slow, taking away her last sight of Korra right before her eyes. 

_Don't lose Korra ..._

* * *

Thousands of things flew through Korra's mind on the elevator ride down, but one thing surpassed all of those thoughts. She knew it for sure now.

She was in love with Asami. 

But Asami didn't love her back. Something inside of her wanted to believe that it was her fault; that she did something wrong. A long list of things appeared in front of her. Those all seemed like silly excuses, though. 

She had just given up the woman that she was absolutely in love with.

What had she just done?


	25. chapter twenty five

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hey just wanted to say another quick thank you to all of the comments i got on chapter twenty four !! i actually love how you all view my story, plus all of your comments are very motivating :)

It all happened so fast. First she was having the time of her life with her, then she was fucking her, then she was _fighting_ with her.

She was hungry the following morning, as if she had even fallen asleep in the first place. Korra was supposed to make them breakfast.

_Neither of them even realized when Korra had pushed Asami into the kitchen island counter until she let out a quick gasp._

_"I'd," Korra began to speak, but was pulled back into pale lips. "I'd take you on this counter right now if I could."_

_"Why can't you?" Asami huffed heavily, then went back for another kiss. Her fingers groping Korra's neck, collarbone, and shoulders firmly._

_"Because," Another kiss. "That's where I'll be making us breakfast tomorrow morning."_

_"Fair enough."_

They were supposed to have breakfast together. They didn't.

* * *

The dark purple rose was neatly placed in a slender vase. Two petals have fallen, another was wilting, but she kept them regardless. The plant sat right on the nightstand that she used most so she always had to look at it when she woke up and when she fell asleep. This was done purposefully, Asami considered it to be a punishment on herself. She knew that she deserved it, after all.

She wished that she could admire the rose the same way she did when she first got it. It was truly beautiful, and the way that Korra was so nervous to give it to her made the gesture even more thoughtful. 

But that was almost three weeks ago. That was the same night that she not only broke Korra's heart, but also her own. Because she was a foolish, cowardly _idiot_. That's what she told herself every time she woke up and saw the rose, and every time she fell asleep. Another addition to her own punishment. 

Asami spent most of her time in her bedroom, slumped in her bed mindlessly watching dumb movies or television shows that she hardly cared about. However, when the memories of her doing the exact same thing but with someone else became too apparent, she'd have to come up with enough energy to move elsewhere.

Turns out, Korra has been everywhere in Asami's apartment. That should have been a given from the beginning of her thought process, though. 

Asami's mindless television watching turned to mindless strolling around her own home. She should have gone out for maybe a walk or a jog, but fresh air didn't even seem like something she needed then. A walk or a jog wouldn't make a difference in the amount of damage she had caused. She knew that probably nothing would at this point.

 _The gym,_ she thought to herself. Out of all of the places Korra's touch had been left, she's never been to her gym. So, that's where she carried herself. 

Asami wasted her time that day by using nearly every piece of equipment she had. Along the way, she realized that there were a couple that she's never used, so she found it a bit hard to grow used to that. That's what she wanted, though. Some sort of distraction that could leave her more frustrated than she already was, but for a completely different reason. 

Working on a different car design in her workshop or marinating in her office is what she would have usually done when put under a large amount of stress, but she hasn't had any motivation for doing so. 

When her and Korra's argument was fresh, she forced herself into work. That only lasted for the first week until she was on the verge of a breakdown simply because she couldn't find her 'favorite pen' and called down Alicia to help her find it. Alicia was pretty concerned because Asami was _never_ like that, so she suggested that she took a short leave.

The short leave turned into a two week personal vacation in her own apartment. Most of her employees assumed that she was actually on a vacation, as she told Alicia to announce. She wished that was the case. 

Ideas of her stepping away from Future Industries and the business of Republic City for a few weeks have been pounding in her mind since she last stepped out of the building. She imagined going somewhere warm, nice, private. She'd book a beautiful, romantic suite in the best hotel around. It would have a balcony with two chairs and a table. They'd sit there together when the sun began to set. They'd watch how the sky changed colors and became a painting before their eyes. Then the stars would appear, and they'd dance and kiss under them. Just like they did on the rooftop on the night of the gala. 

They would be disgustingly consumed with each other, kissing and getting as close as humanly possible everywhere they went. They'd ask locals or other tourists to take pictures of them. They'd make love to each other for hours every night, maybe even sometimes during the day or early in the morning. 

The most important aspect of her dream was that Korra was there. No matter what they did or where they went, Korra would be right there. But she wasn't, not anymore, and it was all her fault.

She thought about the rose again; a reminder for her wrongs. 

Hiroshi didn’t know the true reason why Asami had been feeling down. Neither did Alicia, or Mako, or Kai, or Wu, or anyone else for that matter. She didn’t want to tell anyone because she was embarrassed. She was so, _so_ embarrassed and humiliated. She felt weak in her own mind.

She cursed herself every chance she got, for a number of reasons that would take forever to list out. Asami cursed herself for being scared of _nothing_ , for taking Korra and what they had for granted, for not being more considerate of their relationship, and for letting Korra slip right out of her grasp. She didn't hold her tight enough. She should have. She knew that she would do it now if given the opportunity. 

A second chance that she didn't deserve. 

It's not like she's given up, though. For the first two weeks, she was far from the thought of actually losing the one person that mattered to her most. Only hours after the argument, she toughened up and called Korra. Korra didn't answer. She tried again, and again, and again, until the three calls went up to fourteen. Asami saw how awfully clingy and degrading that looked, so she stopped. For then. 

She then wished that she would have quickly thrown on the first articles of clothing she could find and dashed out before an uber took Korra away. Recently, she's been wishing that she had somehow stopped the elevator in general, but what would she have said to stop her from leaving? What _could_ she have said?

She left Korra a few lousy text messages, along with two voicemails. The only two that she was able to send since they weren't completely consisted of soft cries or fumbled words. Korra didn't answer any of them, and Asami didn't expect her to. 

Every few minutes she thought about trying again. Something inside of her gave her hope that she'd get to talk to Korra, and that just maybe, if she was lucky enough that the planets aligned in her favor, Korra would be willing to listen.

This week, she could only bring herself to sending three messages. Not even the slightest bit as lengthy as the others, but still clingy sounding. 

_hey_

_i'd still like to talk to you_

_call me sometime if you can_

She originally wanted to say 'I'd still like to see you' but knew better than to push any luck she had, if any.

Asami didn't even notice that she wasn't pedaling on the _Peloton_ _Bike_ anymore. She wondered when her legs stopped moving for themselves. It was probably when her brain realized that even working out couldn't pull her mind from Korra, nothing could. It was _Korra_. 

" _Asami_?!" A voice echoed from outside, clearly coming from the foyer room. It startled Asami at first. She had seriously forgotten that she had practically begged for the guys to come over. "Where are you?!"

"I'm," She took a quick breath. "I'm in the gym!" 

She stayed put on the bike, reaching forward to grab the already damp towel and ring it around her shoulders. Only seconds passed before she heard heavy footsteps edging her way. Then, two bodies stood in the doorway of the gym, chewing on donuts with Mako holding the box.

"Hey." She tried to sound as uplifted as possible. "Where's Wu?"

"Can't make it until later. He has some ... uh-"

"He's at a meeting with the city's council. Raiko has some stuff to discuss, apparently." Mako cut Kai off, speaking surely then taking a bite of his donut. 

"Wait, he actually goes to those?"

"This is his first one. His aunt is thinking about stepping down from her position and she wants to hand it over to him."

" _Him_? Of all people?" She questioned with crooked brows. Mako shot her a glare and she put her hands up in defense. "No offense."

"Yes _him_!" Mako replied with a the same tone and a cringed look. "He's a great candidate."

"You're only saying that because he's your boyfriend. You don't actually _mean_ _it_." Kai poked at his shoulder with his pointer finger and a grin, only for Mako to slap it away.

"So? Anyway," He shook his head briefly. "It's not like there are many options. Their bloodline is pretty limited and she wants to keep the position in the family. Wu says she doesn't trust many 'outsiders,' whatever that means."

"I guess that makes sense." Asami agreed. 

"You want a donut?" Kai offered, holding out a strawberry frosted with rainbow sprinkles. "Mako made us stop by some cart and get a dozen on our way here."

"It was literally _your_ idea!"

"I suggested it, I didn't think you'd agree so quickly."

"I'd love to take one but I'm working out right now, as you can see." Asami pointed out, pulling the towel from around her neck to dap it on her forehead lightly. 

"Does that matter?" Asami cocked her head at Kai's words. He gave her an unamused grin, then bit the same donut he had just offered her. "Fine, your loss." He mumbled with stuffed cheeks.

_My loss._

Asami blinked harshly and mentally pinched herself. Her friends were here, she wouldn't think about her right now. 

"How's Korra, by the way?" Kai chirped obviously.

She almost fell off of the bike altogether as the question knocked at a certain place in her gut, but she kept herself steady. Her heart beat, however, picked up its pace too quickly. She clenched her fists when a light layer of sweat reappeared in her palms. She'd do anything to drive this conversation elsewhere. Though also knew that if she said anything out of the ordinary, they ( especially Mako ) would pick up on a bad vibe. She didn't want that. At least not now.

"Oh uh, she's great!" She replied enthusiastically. 

"You haven't talked about her in awhile. Everything okay?"

"Yeah, why wouldn't it be?" She realized that she answered a bit too quickly and sharply when her two friends raised their eyebrows. She released a quiet sigh to regain herself. "I mean, everything's great with us, like I said."

"Well that's good. I'd like to see her again sometime." Kai suggested.

"I'm sure that can be arranged." Asami fiddled with the towel momentarily, trying to find any exit point now before she slipped up and said the wrong thing. "Um, what about you? 

"What _about_ me?"

"How's your life with Jinora? Didn't you meet her family awhile ago?"

"Oh my god, I am _so_ glad you asked!" He shouted excitedly. He squatted down and took a seat on the short landing in the doorway of the gym, Mako following his actions. "Her siblings absolutely love me! Especially her little brothers; Meelo and Rohan. Though Meelo is kinda ... _intense_. Also, I know I told you guys that we said the whole 'I love you' thing already, but now I'm _positive_ that I'm in love with her."

Asami's gears shifted once again, a bucket of sand seemingly filling her throat at Kai's confession.

"That's huge!" Mako exclaimed. 

"You're ... in love?" She croaked out. The words felt itchy and foreign against her tongue, making her mouth dry but also watery. 

A part of her felt had the urge to cry. For what? She had no idea.

Her heart had trouble pumping blood into the tips of her fingers as they suddenly felt numb. She had never _actually_ thought about the idea of being in love, just always ignored it. Now, she tried to bring herself to imagine what it felt like, but for some reason, it didn't seem as difficult as she expected it to be. Her mind went to Korra instantly.

Korra. 

Korra meant the absolute world to her and more, it was hard to explain even to herself. She didn't think that she would ever find the right words for how she felt about that girl. All she needed was to prove it; to herself and to what _was_ her partner. 

Using the 'partner' label in past tense when referring to Korra felt so wrong. It wasn't right, it's not supposed to be like this. Asami wasn't all that aware of it then, but she truly would do anything for Korra. She'd never let her walk away so easily again, or let her go through any of the pain she's caused. She was done with all of that. 

The only thing Asami wanted was for Korra to be happy, because that's exactly what she deserved. And she was determined to be the person who gave her that happiness.

Was that what it's like to be in love? Then again, how she should know? But it felt like she did. The fact that she may know what it's like didn't scare or repulse her, but dwelling on it now wouldn't be the best option. She ignored the feeling.

"I mean yeah, of course. She's _fucking_ _amazing_! And we've been together since the middle of February." Kai's voice ripped her from her thoughts, thankfully.

"But didn't you guys have that falling out for a second?" She asked.

"You mean the worst six days of my life? _God_ , I went fucking insane."

"You did." Asami and Mako both chimed in unison, causing them to chuckle and for Kai to roll his eyes.

"Whatever, but that falling out only made me realize how much I love her. It was seriously hard, you know; being away from her for so long." He sighed, then took another bite of yet another donut. "I still can't believe that we fought over something so _stupid_ in the first place."

"It was technically your fault. You stole from her friend." Mako deadpanned.

"First of all; I didn't know it was her friend. If I had, I wouldn't have done it. Second of all; it wasn't stealing! I was borrowing from this nice lady at the park who just happened to have her pocketbook sitting on the table. No harm, no foul."

"She ended things with you for a week-"

"Six days." Kai corrected Mako matter-of-factly. "And I made it up to her obviously." 

"You're not even broke. What good would stealing do for you, anyway?" Asami cut in.

"Force of old habit?" He shrugged his shoulders, displaying a cheeky, innocent grin.

Mako shook his head in disappointment then grunted. "You're lucky she didn't press charges, or throw you in a cell or something!" 

"That's besides the point, brainy." He flicked Mako's forehead, making him wince a send a promising glare. "You guys should hang out with us soon. Maybe we can all go on a triple date! Why have we never done that?"

"Because Wu and I are with you guys all the time." 

"Fair. So Asami, double date with our ladies?"

She fiddled with her fingers again, feeling the heat raise from her chest. It traveled in waves up to her neck, cheeks, then pricked the top of her ears. Her faint pink blush couldn't have been as noticable, but her skin was burning. 

"I mean, I'll have to think about it." She stuttered out. 

"What would be the problem with it?"

"It's not Jinora I'm worried about, it's _you_." She attempted to derail, and it seemed like her playful insult worked to her liking. 

"Harsh, Sato. Seriously harsh." Kai threw a hand over his heart, scrunching his shirt up in his fist.

"Grow up." She rolled her eyes. Mako chuckled and received a flick in the forehead again.

* * *

Luckily, the talk about that certain someone stopped there. Mako and Kai got into a couple of quarrels which put her in a good mood. She definitely needed an uplifting surrounding then.

That time had to end. Wu got into a bit of a run in with Raiko during the meeting, which caused his aunt to freak out and take away his ride. Because of this, Mako had to leave to pick him up. Shortly after he left, Kai noticed that it was getting late and he should visit Jinora for awhile before nightfall. 

Everyone was leaving Asami to go to their significant others. And who did she have?

 _Don't think like that._ She wanted to pinch herself. _You have Korra._

She didn't know if that was a lie or not, but thinking that it was would only worsen things. She did have Korra, and most of all, Korra had her. Korra would _always_ have her even if it was no longer a reciprocated feeling. 

Asami's workout was long over by then, of course. The time rolled around to seven pm, so she figured that another distraction could be to try and make herself dinner rather than ordering in. It was going pretty well. She's been doing this more and more often within the past week. It was not only something to keep herself busy, but it also helped her feel more connected with Korra. 

Reminiscing on times when Korra would waltz around her kitchen as if she built and designed it herself is something she did quite often. It would be hard _not_ to. She remembered how easily Korra could pick out certain spices and make something incredible. Even if it was a meal as simple as scrambled eggs, whatever she put in them made them much better than they should have been. 

She missed Korra's cooking, but that wasn't something she could have now, so she had to make do. Asami tried to remember what exact ingredients Korra used to make a certain dish of pasta, though what she imagined was a little foggy. 

Once again, for an underestimate of the twentieth time that day, she thought about calling Korra. Only to ask for what spices she used.

She didn't call Korra. She knew her actually picking up the phone would be the last thing that she'd do. And that was the worst feeling of all. 

She thought about the rose.

Defeated tears pricked her eyes. They burned. She didn't want to cry anymore, it was only a waste of time and furthered her humiliation and exhaustion. Crying meant that it was truly over, when it wasn't. It couldn't be. She had to think of something and soon.

This was just a break, to get her shit together. To figure things out.

So, Asami dabbed her eyes with fisted palms, wiping away any evidence of failure as best as she could. She sniffed, then was about to reach into another cupboard for a cutting board when her phone began to ring. She shot up from her half-squat instantly at the noise. She speed walked to the other side of the island counter where her device was placed, and checked the caller ID instantly.

' _Father_ ' it read. It read father. Of course it read father, though, right?

A sigh released past her parted lips. The dumb and hopeful expression on her face faded as soon as she pressed the accept button and put the call on speaker.

"Hey, dad." She greeted, travelling back to the cupboard for the cutting board. 

"Asami, dear. How are you feeling?"

"Uh, why?" She questioned, then quickly remembered what condition she'd told him she was in. "Oh oh! Um, still have this _terrible_ headache and all. I'm not sure why it's lasting this long."

"Are you relaxing? Drinking enough tea? Are you going outside?"

"Yes, dad, I'm doing all of those things." Relatively so ...

"I'm just making sure. You've been out of work for two weeks. Should I call someone? Do you want me to come over?"

"No, that's not necessary. I can handle myself, I promise." She let out a groan, but did appreciate her father's concern. She walked to her refrigerator to grab some peppers. 

"If you say so." He cleared his throat over the line. "Well, I just wanted to call and see how you were doing."

"Thank you, but I'm okay, honestly." A straight up, dirty lie.

"Yes, I assumed so. It's probably all of that stress that you put on yourself. It's good to take a break sometimes. Just don't work yourself as hard when you get back."

"I won't dream of it." She grabbed a knife from the knife holder in one of the corners on the countertop. 

"Good. I should be off now, had to make this quick. I have a phone call with Zeke's parents." 

"Oh, that's nice. Tell them I say hello and give best wishes for their company to bounce back again."

"Of course, and you tell Korra that I say hello, please."

All of this Korra talk in one day ... it wasn't good for her. Her body physically stiffened right before she could answer. 

"Yeah, will do." A lie. "She'd love to hear from you." She would.

"As will I. I'll be calling you again tomorrow morning to see if you're feeling any better."

"Uh, okay." She began to chop up the peppers into tiny bits. She recalled watching Korra minse vegetables quite often. It couldn't be that hard. "If I don't answer it just means I'm sleeping, so don't get worried or anything."

"Alright then." He agreed. "I'll speak to you tomorrow. Have a nice night, Asami, and please get some rest, drink some tea, and go outside."

"Okay, dad, I got it. Bye, love you!"

"Love you too."

The line died out. Asami released another relieved sigh; for not having to go into any details about Korra and being able to go back to her cooking without an interruption. Though, some of his advice was actually good.

Her father was right, a break is good sometimes. Is that what she needed; an actual break? Is that what Korra meant when she walked away? She tried to convince herself that that was a possibility, and it very well could be. Asami just needed to figure things out for herself.

But it's already been three weeks. How long would this 'figuring things out' take? She didn't feel like she had much more to think about. She knew that she wanted Korra, and everything that came with being with her. What more was there to it?

_"Asami," Korra huffed out of nowhere to grab her attention, rightfully so. She was running her fingers through her tangled strands when Asami managed to make eye contact with her._

_"Be my girlfriend."_

_Her heart beat stopped right at that moment. An uncomfortable buzzing feeling rushed to the tips of her fingers. Her eyes were much wider than she thought they were._

_"What?" She croaked, her throat catching most of her words and throwing them back down. Her body shivered. Her partner's touch suddenly felt ... cold._

_"Please be my girlfriend." Korra repeated. Her face was so beautiful. It was filled with hopeful, pleading, longing aspiration._

A bitter feeling resided in her chest. She didn't push it away.

Minutes later, a sauce was brewing on the stove top. She took a sip of it as a taster. It tasted just fine. It certainly wasn't Korra level amazing, but it could be a close relation. It was missing something, though. A strong ingredient, but she couldn't distinguish what it was. 

"I should call her." She whispered to herself out loud.

Nothing in her mind told her that she shouldn't, besides the knowing of the fact that Korra wouldn't even answer. She should call her. There was still hope. Asami wouldn't be someone to give up so easily anymore, especially when it came to Korra. 

She grabbed her phone and went to her recent calls list. Korra's name took up six of the eleven first slots without scrolling, and half of them had another number in parenthesis next to it. It was truly pathetic, but Asami didn't care anymore. 

If Korra were to answer, what would she even say? She's calling to ask for what spices to use for masala pasta. That was silly and not even believable. She knew that if Korra were to actually pick up the phone, the last thing Asami would want to talk about with her would be pasta. She'd probably freeze on the spot at first, then regain herself, then stumble over whatever words that managed to leave her mouth. 

What would Korra do, though? What would she say?

Five whole minutes passed before the phone began to ring, mockingly loud. It rang once, twice. It rang again, and again ...

"Come on. Pick up, pick up." She urged under her shaking breath while biting her thumb nail. "Come on, Korra."

Voicemail. 

Her shoulders dropped, they shouldn't have. She knew better, or liked to think that she did. The pity that she felt for herself in the bottom of her stomach turned into frustration.

"God, _fuck_!" She yelled out, only for it to echo from the large space of the open living room and kitchen. It angered her even more. 

She knew that Korra owed her nothing, that she wasn't obligated in the slightest to want to speak with her, but still. It was getting annoying. Asami wanted to work things out. Her shit was together at this point, it's been weeks. It's been far too long. 

She didn't want to consider this heartbreak, but was that what it could be? The only other time she's felt something similar to how she has recently was when her mother had left all those years ago. She was much younger then, unfamiliar with the concept of abandonment and loss. Her life had been nothing but perfect up until that one day when she woke up and it wasn't.

Asami remembered a void forming in herself at that time, and she just assumed that it would always be there, and that it still was.

Three weeks ago, for the past nine months, it wasn't. She didn't even realize when it filled, but that didn't matter now. She knew what filled it.

Korra.

Korra meant ... _everything_ to Asami.

* * *

It was nearing eight pm that same night. Asami gave up on making the pasta, for now at least. She had more important things to take care of. Things that she should have done weeks or months ago. 

With slow tears trailing down her cheeks and a dangerously fast beating heart, she got ready to leave her apartment the second she realized. It all happened before she could even think properly.

Speeding way too quickly down the still roaring streets of the city, she made the final turn the same time that she felt her heart drop and lip quiver. Fear consumed her, but not the kind that would make her want to turn around.

_This will work._

Though she didn't have a plan. She parked right across the street from the specific brownstone building and stopped the engine to her car. She was so close.

_She'll be here._

All Asami had to do now was figure out what to say, and try to bring herself to step out of her car and press on the buzzer for apartment 4-F.

* * *

"You look awful."

"It's nice to see you too, _buddy_." Korra greeted sarcastically, then pushed by Kuvira who blocked the door and strolled into her apartment with ease. "Got any food? Or weed or something?"

"Do I- _what_? Korra-"

"Relax, buddy, I was just messing with you!" She walked right into the kitchen, ripping open the refrigerator to rummage for something to kill her aching stomach.

"Stop calling me that."

"Hey," Korra turned around to point a finger to where Kuvira still stood in the open doorway. "Relax."

"And will you _stop_ telling me to relax?!" Kuvira closed and locked her door, walking into the kitchen with a confused expression. "What are you _doing_ here?"

"Oh, so I'm not allowed to visit my friend anymore? Sheesh, so everyone's anti-Korra all of the sudden."

"No one is anti-Korra, Korra. I'm just wondering why you just pounded on my door at six thirty pm on a Friday."

"I was in the neighborhood. Wanted to say hello." Korra finally found something that looked appetizing enough. She took out a list of things; a bag of sliced bread, chopped lettuce, sliced cheddar cheese, and turkey slices. She laid the ingredients on the counter top then reached around the kitchen for a plate. Kuvira only watched her in shock.

"Why would you be in my neighborhood? I'm way out of your way-" Kuvira scrunched her nose twice, a cringed expression displayed over her face. "What's that smell?"

"What smell?" Korra bounced back far too quickly, nearly dropping the glass plate she held.

" _Your_ smell." Kuvira accused. "You smell disgusting. Is that-" She scrunched her nose again, then sighed heavily and gave a disappointing look. "Korra."

"What?"

"Were you at a bar? Where did you just come from?"

"Me, at a bar? Come on, Kuvira, I thought you knew me better than this." She began to place the turkey onto the bread. "Drinking away my problems is not my thing."

"You _were_ at a bar. And what problems? What's going on with you?"

"Nothing!" She took a bite of her sloppily made sandwich once it was done. Her next words came out muffled. "It doesn't matter, anyway."

"As much as I'd like to pick at you and agree, there's obviously something wrong, and I'm not _that_ shitty of a person."

"You are." Korra fought back jokingly. 

Kuvira rolled her eyes then pointed to her door. "I could kick you out right now, you know that?"

"Alright, alright! Rel-" She paused. "Uh, I mean relax- I mean, _fine_." 

"Are you gonna tell me why you came into my apartment _drunk_?"

"Barely tipsy!" Korra corrected her friend. She circled out of the kitchen past Kuvira and went through the arch into the living room.

Kuvira certainly had money, but was more of a minimalist. Big and extravagant things seemed unnecessary to her. So, instead of getting a larger apartment like she could afford, a smaller studio-type fit more to her liking. It was a one bedroom, one bathroom, with a living room and a large arched door that connected it to the kitchen. Since she didn't have many decorations and such, it was pretty spacious rather than tight.

"Shut up and sit down." Kuvira ordered, making her own way to the refrigerator. "And no snarky comments, for the life of me."

Korra obliged, but wasn't too sure if she could hold off on the commentary. She brushed her hand over the soft cushions of the couch, then sat down as she was told to. Kuvira stayed at the kitchen counter with a bottle of water in hand. They weren't too far from each other, so the conversation carried out from there.

"This doesn't have anything to do with your girl, does it?"

Her girl; Asami.

"My girl, yeah." Korra smiled for a brief second before her brain caught up with her heart. She shook her head violently. "I mean no, she's not 'my girl'. Not anymore."

That wasn't right. None of this was, and she knew it. She's known it for the past three weeks but has been refusing to talk about it at all. Bolin and Opal caught on pretty quickly when her daily Asami-boosts suddenly came to a stop. She shrugged them off, though. She told them that they just had a little argument and that everything would be fine soon enough.

Three weeks.

At first, Asami called and texted her lengthy messages constantly. That died out in the past couple of days, and now it was total silence. That part was her fault. 

She remembered what most of the texts said. They were always along the lines of her wanting to talk things out or that she missed her. There were a few paragraphs basically all saying the same thing. The two voicemails she had received were enough to make Korra want to give Naga her phone so she could just chew it up. 

They were short, both no longer than thirty seconds. The first one was the morning after the argument. She remembered how tired and drowsy Asami sounded. It broke her even more.

_"Hey, Korra." Asami sighed. "Um, I know that it hasn't even been a day but I miss you. And I don't like fighting with you, like, at all. If you wanna talk I'm available at any time. Call me back."_

The second one was just as bad, if not then it was worse.

_"Korra, I know the last thing you want to hear right now is my voice, probably. I honestly just want to know if you're okay. It's been two weeks and you haven't responded to any of my calls or texts. I don't expect you to, though. You have every right to be furious with me." A deep breath. "But if you want to talk, I'm willing to." Silence for about three seconds. "I want to talk to you."_

Korra felt like a complete moron, but she didn't have much of a choice other than to ignore her. Asami played her and played _with_ her. She wasn't even sure that she wanted to talk to Asami. However, somehow at the same time, that was the only thing that she wanted to do.

She was just confused now.

Korra was - _is_ \- in love with her, and she just broke her heart and turned her down like it was nothing. Asami didn't even try to explain why because she couldn't. She didn't want to be with her and that was that, right? So why does she keep bothering with trying to get a hold of Korra?

Ever since that night, Korra felt like the least lucky person in the entire world. She felt like shit.

"Shit. What'd you do?" Kuvira pulled her back into the conversation. 

"I didn't do anything! Long story short; I took her on a date, we had an amazing time, along the way I realized that I'm in love with her, then I as-"

"Hold on, pause." Kuvira stuck a hand up, eyes blinking rapidly. "You're _in_ _love_ with her?"

"I mean ... of course I am." This was the first time that she had said it out loud; that was was in love with Asami. It felt amazing, like she was being lifted onto an entirely different astral plane. However, reality found her soon enough. Her face dropped.

Her love for Asami didn't matter.

"Anyway," She continued while ignoring the intense, tight feeling pounding in her chest. " _Then_ as we wrapped up our little, _you_ _know_ , I- I asked her to be my girlfriend."

"I assume it didn't go the way you planned."

"I didn't plan that, though, that's the thing. Maybe that's where I went wrong. I just sprung it on her knowing that stuff makes her a bit uncomfortable sometimes." She sighed, taking another bite of the sandwich in her hands that she almost forgot about. "She said no, Kuvira. She doesn't wanna be my girlfriend. I don't even think that she wants to be with me."

"That's ... " Kuvira took a moment to think, clearly trying to play her words out carefully for the tipsy, heartbroken girl on her couch. "A lot." She settled with, leaning her upper body on the counter. 

"Yeah."

It was silent for awhile, both of them soaking in their own confusion. 

"So you ended it all with her?" Kuvira spoke up after a few more beats.

Korra nodded softly. "Yeah."

She could feel the lump in her throat form along with her nose beginning to sting. She didn't even care if she cried right then, it would be nothing new from what she's been doing. Crying in front of Kuvira was something that she did not want to do, though. That would just be embarrassing. The alcohol in her system made her stomach churn, but it was fading thankfully.

"Is that what you want?"

And then her stomach dropped. She didn't even have to think before she answered abruptly. 

"Of course that's not what I want, but I didn't have any other options."

"Yes you do. You acted off of your anger; irrationally."

"Huh?"

Kuvira took a sip of her water, then ventured into the living room and sat on the couch right next to Korra. Her dark green eyes were content. She wanted to help her friend. 

"I've known you for years, Korra, and we've been 'together' before. I know how you think. Maybe not as well as Asami," She sent her a knowing smirk. "But I still know."

"I don't get what you're trying to say." Korra groaned, close to finishing her small meal.

"You kind of have a problem with not being able to talk things out before you jump into something. It can be damaging." 

"No I don't." Though Korra knew she was right. She put the empty plate on the small coffee table in front of them. She looked back to Kuvira whose face was clearly not having her right now. "Whatever."

"I know I may not be telling you want you want to hear, but you really _need_ to hear it."

Korra released a huff in annoyance. Kuvira was always good at telling people the facts without beating around any bushed. Sometimes she loved it, sometimes she hated it. Right now, she just wanted for everything to go back to normal. It didn't matter how.

They sat in more silence, close to each other. Thousands of things were passing through Korra's mind in those moments, way too many to keep track of. She thought about Asami, of course. She thought about how badly things went so quickly for no reason, she thought about all of the words Kuvira had just thrown at her, and then, she thought about Kuvira.

Was she thinking anymore? No, she wasn't. She didn't want to. Not with the alcohol still fogging her mind and mixing with all of her emotions at once. 

"Remember us?" She spoke before even knowing she was speaking. 

"Us like, like _us_ us?" Kuvira was hesitant, skeptical. She probably already knew where this could be going. Korra was oblivious herself.

"Yeah, you know, like what we used to do."

"You mean mess around just for the hell of it?"

"And to release," She glanced at Kuvira's thighs, though it didn't arouse her like the sight used to. Now they were just _there_ , but she kept talking. "Stress."

"Korra-"

Korra moved closer, leaving little distance between the two now. Her hands had a mind of their own when she dared to place one on Kuvira's thigh, only for it to be pushed off immediately after. The action didn't offend her, she only had to act like it did. 

"Come on, Kuvira." She frowned teasingly. The alcohol told her to continue. Every part of her body told her to stop.

"Korra, you can cut it out now-"

"I just want you to make me feel good. Like old times." She attempted to reach for Kuvira's hand, but instead got clenched fingers around her wrist, holding her tightly. " _Hey_!" 

"Seriously, cut it out." Kuvira said shamelessly. She was bothered. "You want _Asami_ to make you feel good. Not me."

Korra ripped her hand from her grasp. She was not only extremely embarrassed, she was pissed, frustrated, and felt betrayed. "N- no I don’t. She hurt me, Kuvira. You know that!"

She mentally told herself to not cry when she heard her own voice crack.

"She did, but this isn’t old times anymore, this is now. And I’m not going to let you hurt _yourself_ by doing this."

A few seconds passed, both of them frozen in place on the couch, before Kuvira finally let go let Korra settle down. Silence creeped up on them once again, but it was a good silence this time; much needed. Korra flopped back into the back of the couch, secretly hoping that the large cushions would consume her right at that moment. 

They didn't. She was still there and had to face the humiliation that she had just put herself through. None of her actions made sense. She didn't even _want_ Kuvira. Why did she even try that? What was her goal? Was it to hurt Asami, or to try and forget Asami? 

That was a joke just thinking about it; forgetting Asami. She couldn't and didn't want to _ever_ forget Asami. Now she was in deeper shit than she originally was, not knowing how she dug her own hole that seemingly lead to a grave. 

"God, I am such an idiot." She groaned under her breath, covering her face with her hands and shaking her head slowly.

"True." 

"I can’t believe I got rejected twice in the past three weeks. Is there something wrong with me? Am I _that_ bad of a person?" She shot her eyes open and removed her hands to look at her friend beside her. 

"Nothing is wrong with you, you’re not a bad person, and I’m not … _rejecting_ you. I’m looking out for you, as your friend." Kuvira said sincerely, putting her hand on Korra's shoulder.

"I am seriously so, _so_ sorry for trying to come onto you like that, I- I don't even know what I was thinking. I _wasn't_ thinking." She admitted. 

"It's fine, I guess. Just don't do it again. Like I said, you think irrationally. Take some time to process shit once in awhile." 

"I just don’t understand what I’m supposed to do now. I’m fucking _crazy_ about this girl, and she doesn’t even wanna be with me." Her heart rate picked up, swelled, and sunk all in a matter of seconds. She was a hopeless case. "Have you ever been in this position?"

"I can’t say that I have."

"Oh." Korra scratched her cheek, wishing that she had another sandwich to stuff her face with.

"What? You expected me to say that’s how I felt about you?"

"Well … sort of, maybe."

Kuvira let out a very amused laughter, arching her head back and opening her mouth widely. Nothing was funny to Korra at all. "And what good would that do?" She beveled out between chuckles.

"I’d be able to feel bad for someone other than myself."

"You are a _terrible_ person." Kuvira said flatly with narrowed eyes.

"I know! That’s the problem! Help me here, Kuvira." She quickly changed her desperate look when she saw the way Kuvira was eyeing her awkwardly. "Not in a sexual way this time.” Embarrassment made her cheeks flush and become hotter than they already were.

"Listen, I don’t know much about Asami obviously, but from what you’ve told me it kinda seems like she’s not the type of person to necessarily _commit_ to someone else."

"That’s exactly who she is." Korra threw her hands in the hair dramatically. "She told me herself when we first started being friends. Relationships weren't her 'thing' and they scared her and all that crap."

"So you knew that all along but still went for her?"

A part of Korra felt guilty for going for Asami now, or as if it would always be somewhat of a lost cause. "Yeah …"

"And she let you?"

"What?" She gave Kuvira a confused look with thin lips. 

"She let you go for her, and she went for you. Unless I’m mistaken." She deadpanned. 

"No, you’re right."

Kuvira shook her head softly. A smirk appeared on her lips. "You really are an idiot."

"Hey, only I can talk badly about myself." Korra defended with a pointed finger. Kuvira looked at it disgustingly and pushed it out of her face. 

"I’m trying to make you realize that she so obviously wants to be with you, Korra. It just takes her a longer time to process that kind of stuff compared to you."

"So what do I do? Just sit around and be her ‘partner’ for the rest of our lives?"

"The rest of your lives, huh?" The smirk on her lips only grew bigger along with her beady eyes "You’ve thought about that?"

Korra then felt small, watched, and inferior until her friend's intense gaze.

"No."

"Liar."

"Th- that doesn’t matter. Answer my question, please." She begged, trying to derail that specific topic before Kuvira started to make fun of her.

"I say you should give her time." Kuvira said. She stood from her position on the couch and went back to the counter in the kitchen to return to her bottle of water. 

"That’s a dumb answer."

"Well it’s what I think." She took a long drink. "Let her have some time to herself."

"It's been three weeks, Kuvira. I haven't seen her in _three_ _weeks_! I feel like I'm going insane." Korra noted the look Kuvira gave her. "And yes I know it's pathetic, I know. I can't help it, though."

_I'm so in love with her._

"That long and neither of you have contacted each other at all?"

She stiffened and scratched her cheek again. "Uh, I wouldn't really say that it's been a dead line ..."

"You've been calling her and she hasn't answered. Harsh."

"That's actually where you're wrong." Embarrassment took her over again by having to say that she's been ignoring Asami. "Its um, the other way around."

"She's been calling _you_ and _you_ haven't answered?" Kuvira practically squeaked, her eyes widened instantly.

"Don't sound so shocked." Korra grumbled. 

"I have a right to be. I thought you said that you were in love with her and that you don't think she wants to be with you."

"Because that's all the truth."

"Look," Kuvira sighed carefully. "From what you've told me just now, I know that one of those things is false. Why would she try to contact you so much if she didn't want you?"

"No idea. Maybe to mess with my mind a little more."

She didn't mean that. It was her pent up anger and the alcohol talking. 

"I know she's given you reasons to not believe her, bu-"

"I'll say."

"Hey, let me speak for a second." Kuvira tried to sound as comforting as possible, but Korra was being a bit difficult. Korra sighed then nodded her head and listened. "As I was saying, it's cheesy and all but actions really do speak louder than words. I'm sure she's proven to you in more ways than possible that she really does care about you. She just needs to think about whether or not she’s ready for that step, and you should _let_ _her_ think. Then, once things blow over soon, you guys can actually communicate about her commitment issues and your 'i need an answer' issues instead of going over all of those overdramatic speed bumps."

"And what if she’s not?" Korra fiddled with her fingers. Her throat was dry and her words began to come out in croaks. "Ready for that, I mean. Being my girlfriend or whatever."

"Do you think you could wait for her until she is?"

"Of course." The words sprung out of her mouth before she could even fully register Kuvira’s, causing Kuvira to smirk sharply while taking a sip of her water, then placing the bottle back on the counter top. "I don't know why I didn't. I don't know why I left."

"There’s your answer, then."

"But I don’t want to have to wait forever."

"You won’t have to."

"How can you be so sure?"

"I’m _not_. I don’t know Asami or how she thinks, but you do."

* * *

Korra ended up loitering in Kuvira's apartment for another hour or so. Kuvira was being her usual content and vague self, continuing to feed Korra what sounded like love poems. She had a _lot_ of water and bread to help the intoxication subside. Her tipsiness faded almost completely by around eight pm. She felt fine, for the most part.

Kuvira did a good job at distracting her from Asami, as well. She also told her some old stories from her and Opal's childhood. They were mostly about how she got picked on by Opal when Suyin first took her in, but the roles reversed when she reached age ten and learned what curse words were. 

They now were both leaned against the kitchen counter having light talk.

"Alright," Kuvira finished throwing her long hair into a braid. "You ready to head out now?"

"Trying to get me out for a hot date coming by soon?" Korra smirked and took the last sip of her water before chucking the bottle into the recycling bin. 

"No, for your information. I just want my alone time again."

"Whatever." She lifted herself from the counter and began to put her shoes back on. "Hey, what ever happened to that person you were supposed to meet at the park a little while ago? Did it go well? You and Opal never mentioned anything.

"It actually is going well. We're together, kind of, but don't really see each other that often because of our schedules. It's complicated. I don't know. She’s a really nice person and-"

"You don’t have to be shy when talking about someone you like." Korra could easily notice the flush look on Kuvira's face, matching with the faint blush that tinted her cheeks.

"Well what about you?" Kuvira defended. "You’re an embarrassing _mess_ when you speak about Asami."

"That’s not fair! We’re going through a rough patch right now."

"Whatever." She mocked. Korra rolled her eyes. "You want me to drive you home?"

"I can call an uber for myself. I'm not _completely_ helpless, Kuvira."

"Sure you're not." Kuvira smirked. She walked over to her front door and took her car and house keys off of the key holder amd unlocked the door. "I don't have anything else to do tonight, though. A drive would be nice."

"Fine then, if you insist."

Korra didn't live too far from Kuvira, but it still wasn't anything like a short drive. They drove with the windows open, taking in the last of summer's breeze before fall would officially hit. They mostly stayed in comfortable silence, bickering every now and then. 

"Thanks for being such a good therapist tonight." Korra suddenly spoke up. "And I'm really sorry for bursting into your apartment, trying to seduce you, and then ranting about my dramatic love life."

"You know I don't mind helping someone out."

"A nice change from what you used to be like."

"And that was?" She took another turn, about to pull into Korra's street. 

"Distant, rude, self-obsor-"

"Alright nevermind, that's enough from you for one night." Kuvira cut her off quickly, though a chuckle escaped past her lips.

* * *

Thirty seven minutes; that's how long Asami has locked herself in her car right across the street from Korra's apartment. It wasn't necessarily stalking, she was just waiting for something to tell her that she was ready to go.

That thing didn't come, until it did.

Another car pulled up on the other side of the street. Asami watched it out of pure curiosity and boredom. A person got out from the passenger seat, but they weren't the only one to get out. The other occupant got out from the driver's seat and circled around the car to the sidewalk. The street wasn't all that dark. There were a few lamp posts set up yards from each other that provided dim lighting, along with the sun that was still relatively bright at the time. 

The taller person went in for a hug under a lamp post, and Asami could see it then, even from a bit far away and poor lighting.

Korra.

Her heart stopped.

It couldn't be anyone else but her. She could recognize the self chopped hair below the chin on any silhouette, especially the muscular arms that of course were exposed. 

But Asami had no idea who she was with. It was probably a woman by the looks of her build, but she didn't know who. She couldn't tell. Their back was facing her direction. All she could make of them was a long, singular braid that trailed down their back.

The hug was short and simple, it looked like Korra had pulled away pretty quickly. They waved to each other until they parted ways; the other person heading back into the car with Korra walking down the sidewalk.

When the other woman turned around, Asami could then see the _entire_ picture.

It was Kuvira. 

Her heart stopped again. It lasted much longer this time until she found her breath. Her fingers couldn't stop trembling. She almost felt nauseous. 

A million different ideas and theories flew around her mind; three stuck out the most.

She wondered if she should hop out of her car right now and run up to Korra before she entered her brownstone. Maybe she would have the guts to tell Korra everything that she needed to.

Korra walked up the flight of stairs. She pulled out her eyes from her back pocket. 

Asami wasn't being given enough time to think. It wasn't fair. The blood pumping through her body was loud in her ear and irritating. 

She wondered if she should even bother at that moment. Korra was just with Kuvira, all while ignoring her calls and texts for the past three weeks. 

She thought about the rose. She wondered if another petal had fallen since she'd gone out. She would keep it with the other two that had already fallen.

Korra noticeably fiddled with the front door, up until she finally got it to push open. She walked inside and closed it behind her.

Asami drove away, heading back to her own apartment where she should have stayed in the first place. Salty tears stung at her eyes, cheeks, and the corners of her mouth as she sped through the loud streets of Republic City.

_Don't cry. Crying means it's over when it's not._

But the tears kept coming. Maybe she shouldn't have tried, but she still wanted to. So, she would try again sometime.

After all, Asami **loved** her.

* * *

When she got home, she slowly walked straight to her bedroom with the feeling of temporary defeat weighing on her shoulders. It was even more prominent than before. She closed the door to her room quietly, as if any loud noise would send her over the edge. 

The heiress sat on her bed, right next to the nightstand that she used most. She looked at the rose. It was still beautiful and vibrant somehow, other than the two crumbled petals that sat right next to the vase.

Her theory was wrong. Another petal did not fall off of the rose.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> i'm also so happy about how most of you picked up on the way that i wrote their fight last chapter. i tried to make both of their sides sound as reasonable as possible, but obviously with korra in the lead.
> 
> asami is coming to her senses as you can see in this chapter, though !!


End file.
